I dreamed you
by AliceAD
Summary: When Tarrant's cousin is found alive the White Queen forces a marriage upon them. Then Alice returns. Hatter/Alice
1. Fool To Cry

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Angst/Romance/Hurt/Comfort (whatever O_O )

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the dream. ( Doesn't that sound prophetic? )

Written as a reply to : 2010_Alice_kink

_**Tarrant/Alice/OCC**_  
_**chrismata1976**_

_Hurt!Pain!Angnst Sex!_

_One of Tarrant's relatives are found alive, and he is force to marry her to continue the High topp clan line. But he wants Alice and he does anything for her to stay in wonderland. Hatter becomes dominate and desperate and forces Alice to have sex._

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**I dreamed you**

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**'Fool To Cry'**

He was working in his studio which was filled with half-finished hats, needles, pieces of cloth and small ornaments that he could use to craft his creations. He let another piece of fabric slip under his fingers. He treated it like a beauty, as if it were alive. As if it was a breathing creature that needed to be tended to. His rough fingers gently slid past the layer of silk before he patted it and placed it underneath the needle of the sewing machine that was his to control. His left hand swung the wheel at the side of the apparatus as his eyes focused sternly yet affectionately at what was his newest creation to be.

His green eyes shone brightly at the stream of thoughts that occupied his mind.

'Alice.'

He could see her ever so clear. The image in his mind was so vivid that he could not suppress the urge to reach out to touch her. His hand would not feel her skin though. He could remember how she had been drinking tea with him as a child, and then as a teenager. It hadn't been too long ago, but long enough to him. She said she would be back before he knew it.

He knew it.

And still she hadn't returned.

Surely something must be wrong there. He hissed as the mad man inside his head wanted to come out and destroy his creations. How his darker self wanted to create chaos so that Alice would return. For he knew he couldn't leave Underland himself. If only he could he would go to search for her. 'No.' He had to stop this thoughts that would only cause him grief and could eventually lead to the releasing of the wild beast that had incorporated itself into his being. That infested his soul and could come out at any moment it pleased to hurt those around him. He would not have that happen. He had to focus on his hats.

Tarrant smiled weakly. The image of Alice wearing his newest creation popped into mind. She would look so silly fitting this one on. No, he could not tolerate it. Every hat he created was tried on by her in his mind. It was the only way to keep him sane. 'Think how she would look like wearing this gorgeous craftsmanship.' He would love to make her a hat once.

Her very own hat.

By him.

He had made her a dress once. And it had suited her beautifully no matter what her size would be. And then, that day she left, she had been proper size and he had looked all over her form and he knew it. He couldn't help himself because after all he was a man. The image of her being proper size and standing in front of him smiling at him was enough to keep the hatter working.

The horn sounded but he didn't seem to notice. The doors swung open elegantly as two maids and a handful of servants entered the room alongside the White Queen. She gestured kindly at him with her hands held up high and elegant. Her fingers never ceasing to move as she smiled charmingly at the man in front of her. He was sitting behind his desk and was so absent-minded that she was facing his back as he didn't turn around to greet his majesty. She didn't blame him but decided that after a moment of silence she had to have his attention. She coughed softly into her hand, breaking his train of thoughts and making him turn to face her with a questioning look in his eyes.

"We have matters to discuss." She simply stated and he awkwardly nodded his head.

"Which matters?" His voice sounded gruff and low. His gaze was scanning the room and the servants and even Mirana's dress but never met hers. She swirled around elegantly to her maids and then back to Tarrant with a sly smile. "You didn't respond to my beckoning. I took it you were rather absorbed by your work."

"My new creations." He smiled crookedly but his eyes still didn't meet hers. He was rocking slightly to and fro in his chair.

"Yes." Mirana said and watched her friend and hatter curiously. She had difficulties breaking the news to him. "You know how we think about the Hightopps." The hatter's eyes turned sad and a deeper shade of green. Mirana knew she was on dangerous ground by starting about his family. But she had no other choice. "They are the most creative and achieving citizens Underland has ever known. They are pleasant and well-known for their good and easy breed." Tarrant's eyes began to show faint traces of amber as he decided to look at the bloodstained piece of cloth in his hand. He couldn't remember piercing his own skin, but the blood marks and the trail that dripped down from his finger onto the piece of fabric could only mean one thing. He frowned. Why was she bringing this all up?

"I know you don't like to be reminded of the past events, Tarrant." Mirana continued. "But I have joyful news."

Tarrant raised his head. 'It couldn't be.'

"We've found your cousin Tallulah." As the White Queen stood proud, smiling down at her friend, Tarrant could feel his insides burst with happiness and joy.

"Little Tally?" He suddenly said out loud as he jumped up from his seat.

"Little Tally is alive?" He grabbed Mirana by her shoulders and looked up at her face. "But how?"

Mirana smiled widely at him. She was pleased she could cheer her friend up. He had been down and working all day long ever since their champion had left their land. "She was found and taken care of by the Frenders. Very nice family, by all means. One of my knights found out she was still living with them . They have nursed her back to health and she has turned into a quite astounding young lady." Mirana babbled onward while Tarrant hardly noticed what she was saying. His little cousin Tallulah was still alive and that was more a gift to him than anything he had yet received. "Alive." He breathed.

"I told my knight to send for her. She should be arriving this evening."

Tarrant's eyes searched for hers. They both smiled brightly at each other. "Thank you. Thank you so much." His voice had grown hoarse and his grip on the queen's shoulders firmer. His green eyes sparkled.

"Yes." The queen cheered. "You shall be expected to marry her within four days time."

Tarrant's jaw dropped and his grip on the queen slackened.

When she noticed his reaction she looked confused at him. "It's purely natural. You two are the only ones who can create a new breed of Hightopps." Tarrant let go of her and took a step back. The blood that had trickled down his finger had smeared upon the White Queen's dress. She obviously hadn't noticed as she was watching him with a look that betrayed that she was unable to comprehend what he was going through. "Hightopps are essential to Underland. You two need to mate. And there's nothing wrong with it being soon. Don't worry, it will be an official wedding at the castle. All your friend may be here."

The hatter shook his head violently. "No!" He stated gruffly but the queen lifted her chin and sniffed. "It shall be done as I say." Tarrant nodded self-consciously. The expression on his face had been replaced by one of bewilderment and obedience. "As you wish it will be." There wasn't anything he could do against the queen's wishes.

It would be like she said.

Mirana smiled relieved and beckoned at her servants to follow her. With one last glance over her shoulder at her friend she exited the room.

Once Tarrant was alone again he slumped back into his chair and rested his head in his hands.

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_AU - A big thank you to the one who suggested to write this fic, and another big thank you to the one who suggested how to think of the title of the chapter. I knew how the story was going to be called. I have a summary made for this for the next few chapters at least and I'll see how it goes from there. I hope you've enjoyed reading this fic. 8D _

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	2. How You Remind Me

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own it xD Can we have some tea now?

Au: I know Alice won't appear physically until what... chapter 4? I think. But she's there in Tarrant's thoughts ^_^ And wait till he gets his hands on her. Personally I don't like the insertion of new characters very much so I hope you don't dislike what I've done with Tally :P It actually gave me an idea about how to continue with this story and is the reason for the story title to be what it is now. And thank you all for the sweet comments and for adding me to your alert list or favourites! It's what keeps me writing =)

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**I dreamed you**

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'How You Remind Me '

"It's the queen's wish." Cheshire purred at him. "It's hardly anything we can decide on."

Tarrant looked away.

"I never thought about marriage before." He confessed. His lisp made him sound like a shy and insecure man rather than a dangerous mad man.

"Then think of marriage now." The cat purred again and used its tail to place the top hat on his own head. Tarrant didn't seem to notice this or he didn't seem to mind. "Only three more days left. I should fix myself a nice wedding suit." The cat rolled his eyes. It figured that Tarrant would make his own clothes. It was a nasty Hightopp habit.

"And the bride?" The cat suggested.

Tarrant stopped in his tracks. "I hadn't thought of her. Poor Tally." He mused. "She must have been so frightened." The image of his village burning clouded his mind again as he stood silently in the middle of the room. Cheshire floated around him in a circle. "Have you actually met her yet? She should be at the castle." Tarrant turned to him, raised his finger and wanted to say something when the doors burst open.

Talking about the devil.

Mirana entered the room.

"She's waiting." She twittered happily. Tarrant looked at his white clothed friend and smiled wryly. With a short bow he greeted her. "Where is she? I will see her."

Mirana smiled happily. Her mind raced with thoughts about the marriage already. "The room next door. So you two will have some privacy. Don't make her wait too long."

Tarrant nodded slowly. "I'm really sort of anxious, you know?" He smiled sheepishly at the queen. "I haven't seen small Tally for ages. I'm just so relieved she isn't dead." His eyes darkened slightly.

'That doesn't mean I want to marry her.'

No one seemed to notice his change of mood. The queen nodded enthusiastically. "I understand." Her hands were making the most interesting patterns in the air.

"Should I make her a wedding gown?" He lisped eagerly but Mirana shook her head.

"She will marry in white. It has all been arranged." Tarrant watched her as she was thinking. "Everyone has been invited. Only three days to go before the marriage."

Tarrant stared down at the hat that he was holding in his hands. 'Not all.' His mind raced. 'One was missing. One would always be missing.' His lips were pressed into a thin line. 'Of course she shouldn't be there as a guest. She should be the bride.' He shook himself. 'She won't come. She's forever lost.' He looked up at the queen.

'Alice.'

Mirana finally noticed the change in his eyes and started to panic by seeing that her dear friend was on the verge of losing his sanity. She quickly turned around to leave the room. "Go see her now." She ordered. Tarrant shook his head again to snap out of his thoughts and placed the hat he had been holding onto his head. He took a step forward but seemed to think of something and turned around to the Cheshire cat. He quickly exchanged his newest creation with his old beloved top hat which the cat still had been wearing. Cheshire purred sadly. "I had hoped you would have forgotten."

"No way, mate." Tarrant snarled in his accent. "I have a vivid mind." Then he stamped out of the room and searched for the second door down the hallway. He didn't bother to knock and entered the room quite bluntly.

In front of him there was a girl standing. She was turned away from him and seemed to be looking out of the window and admiring the view. Tarrant took a step closer. The girl was dressed in white – probably given to her by the queen. When his boot creaked upon the floor the girl noticed his presence and swirled around. Tarrant could feel his breath catch in his throat. His voice rasped and he sounded silly when he exclaimed her name in disbelief. "Tally?" Tallulah smiled warmly at him.

"Cousin Tarrant!" She flung herself around his neck and hugged him tight.

Tarrant slowly reached up to settle his hands on her sides, but he made no attempt to return the hug. He wasn't even watching her as he looked dazed in front of him. "Tarrant?" Tally asked worriedly when she noticed the lack of reaction.

"Forgive me." Tarrant managed to reply as he noticed that his throat had gone dry. "But…. Alice…."

The girl in front of him blinked without understanding him. Tarrant studied her again. He even went as far as to take his measurement tape before scratching underneath his hat.

She was the right size.

He couldn't believe it.

"Alice?" She asked confused.

In front of him there was the perfect resemblance of Alice. Only her hair wasn't blonde but brown and slightly longer. Her eyes were green. Her voice with a lisp. She was a Hightopp.

Tally knew the stories of the champion of Underland but didn't know what it had to do with her. She let her cousin measure her and stood there meekly all the while. "Cousin, please." She pleaded and he finally looked at her again.

"No, no, no!" He shook his head. He couldn't believe his own sight. Why did she have to look so much like Alice. He wasn't sure if he should call it a grace or disgrace.

She was not Alice.

"You're not Alice." He rasped out loud and she flinched.

'Like I don't know that.' Tally thought offended.

"No, I'm not." She simply stated. For the first time their eyes locked and Tally gasped.

'Poor soul.' She thought. Tarrant's eyes were filled with love and pain. 'He loves her.'

Tarrant smiled wryly again. "So, we are supposed to marry?"

Tally smiled shy and sat down. She waited for him to sit down as well. "So it seems." She said.

"We're very fertile." Tarrant continued and made Tally feel incredibly uncomfortable.

"So it seems." She replied.

They both looked at each other and smiled.

"You're not that bad." Tarrant said with his accent. Tally noticed this but decided to ignore it. Truth was she didn't fancy the idea of having to marry someone who was a relative of her. She smiled dryly. Tarrant, all the while, had been studying her critically. 'No,' he concluded in his mind, 'She was nothing like Alice.' No matter how much she resembled her.

"You're mad." She stated. "You're mad and dangerous."

Tarrant looked straight at her. "So many of us got killed."

She looked back at him. "Some survived."

He grumped.

"Are they worth a ruined life?" She questioned him.

He looked away.

"You survived."

"I didn't go mad." Tally said.

"You didn't have the tools to go bonkers."

"I didn't need them. I got education."

She was just as smart as his Alice.

"Listen, I don't mind this." She didn't know how to bring this gently. "But if we don't agree our lives will definitely be over." Tarrant agreed. "Your wedding dress has been arranged."

She smiled sourly.

"Good."

"And I shall make my own suit." Tarrant added as an afterthought.

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Au: Yes! XD I just finished the first smut part! I'm afraid you all have to wait a few more chapters :P Next chapter is done already and the chapter after that... isn't O_o I know, I'm weird...And because I'm ill a lot I want to have some in reserve so I won't abandon you all xD I hope you like the story so far. Don't worry, it's really a Hatter x Alice story and not Tally. And I can reveal that, of course, Tarrant is going to suffer from his dark side when Alice does show up :P I can't wait myself... can you?


	3. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?

_AU: I was without internet for a few days (well, actually since I last updated a chapter _ ) So sorry you had to wait! it's a small chappie but I'm slowly working towards ... well, you know! Thank you all for who are reading this and having this story on alert, it motivates me and keeps me working/busy/writing. _

_Disclaimer: _I don't own a thing. Though I did just receive my very own tea set. Or was it meant for coffee? All minors stop reading xD!

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**I dreamed you**

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**'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?'**

Tarrant was standing in front of the mirror as he studied his own reflection disapprovingly. His hair was messy as usual. His eyes were their normal colour. His wedding suit very much like his normal wear.

He didn't like it.

'It should have been her.' His mind buzzed as he thought of Alice and threw his tie aside.

"Not having any luck?" The Cheshire Cat purred next to him.

"None at all." Tarrant growled as a reply.

"You should try that one." The cat pointed with his claw and Tarrant bend forward to grab the accessory. "And may I suggest to wear a different hat?" Tarrant immediately scolded the cat. 'No!' The cat shrunk back until only a mouth was floating through the air. "And stop grinning!" Tarrant added annoyed. His accent had returned and his eyes were flickering dangerously. As he straightened his hat he felt a strange vibration. The cat must have noticed it as well as they both looked at each other. But before either one could say anything there was a knock on the door and the cat had disappeared into nothingness. Tarrant reached out and let his hand roam the empty air. Then he shrugged and went to answer whoever was at the door.

'She's here.' Cheshire's voice sounded in his head.

The hatter opened the door and his darkened eyes met those of his cousin.

"Tally." He managed to say without choking the words.

"Here." She handed him some new materials for his suit. "The queen gave them to me so I could give them to you." Tarrant smiled wryly. "Thank you." He went into the room again to place the materials onto his desk. Tally watched him go and, with a small smile, closed the doors and left.

Tarrant rummaged through the new buttons, sewing tools and fabrics that had been handed to him. His studio filled with silence and he almost began to miss the most annoying of all friends. 'Stupid cat.' He sat down in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. A pensive look was on his face as he mused about the events. "Only two days left." He said to no one in particular. "Just two days." His voice was gentle but now turned harsh.

"Two bloody days as a bachelor. Then you'll become a real man." He patted himself on the shoulder.

"I don't want to." He whimpered sadly as a reply to himself.

"Oh, yes you do. You must." His Scottish self replied. He leaned his elbows onto his desk before placing his head in his hands again.

"Go away." He lisped at himself but no one replied.

'Alice.'

He could feel his body tremble slightly at the thought of her. The image of her smiling at him filled his mind and his hand run past his own cheek and down to his chest. Before he realized what he was doing he was massaging himself through his pants. His breathing became more ragged and his eyes rolled closed. He moaned as his hand kept kneading the hot flesh that was constrained inside his pants. 'Alice, Alice.' He chanted inside his head. The fabric of his trousers roughly rubbed past his engorged member and caused for more shivers to run down his spine.

"Alice."

His voice was hoarse and with accent. His demon was taking control again. 'Silly hatter. What are you worth?' He kept rubbing his hand past his lid. "Alice." He rasped again. 'Is she? Are you? Won't you hurt her?' He kept stroking himself firmly. The feeling inside of him building rapidly.

"Alice." He could now imagine her coming closer to him. Her sweet smile and luscious lips. Her sparkling eyes and dancing curls. Her hand reaching out and clasping around his. She was helping him. He cried out as he relieved himself, breathing rapidly as he was trying to catch his breath. His eyes slowly opened again. 'Alice.'

He stared in front of him at the fabrics that were covering his desk. 'No, this wedding suit won't do. It's too much made for her.' He concluded silently and shifted in his seat. He looked sideways at the mirror to see his face flushed and body sweating. He quickly bit on his lip and returned to gaze at the fabrics again.

"Tally is very much like Alice." The hatter said while he picked up a pair of scissors. "Alice made my life." He started cutting a pattern. "Alice thought she was dreaming us. That she was dreaming me."

His eyes turned into a sad blue.

'I've been ever so lonely since she's left.' He realized how much he longed for her and how he missed her. Then another terrifying thought entered his head.

'She won't return?'

What if she wouldn't come back like she promised. What if she had broken it? Tarrant put the scissors down onto the table with a loud bang.

Tallulah looked so much like Alice. It could be no coincidence. And didn't Alice always tell him she thought she had dreamed them up? That she had made this world? He hit his fist onto his desk angrily and roared.

He was lonely.

Could it be possible that he had made Tally up?

He sat down again in his chair. His own cousin had died. And just like so many things in wonderland she was reborn because someone had dreamed her up.

Surely it must have been him.

How else could it be that she was such a perfect resemblance of Alice?

'But not at all perfect. She's not Alice. There's only one Alice.' Tarrant looked out of the window and saw the sun sink and the sky turning dark. He sighed heavily. 'There's only one Alice.' He could feel himself growing hard again.

"My Alice."


	4. Don’t laugh at me 'cause I’m a fool

_Disclaimer: _I don't own a thing. I just had some hot cocoa. It's a change.

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**I dreamed you**

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'**Don't laugh at me ('cause I'm a fool)'**

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Tallulah turned around and showed off her wedding dress at Mirana who nodded approvingly. "Everything is just the proper colour of white." The happy queen stated while swirling her hands about. Mallymkun coughed.

"Technically white isn't a colour." She grumped to her neighbours who pretended they hadn't heard it. Tallulah looked down at the dormouse and smiled faintly.

Everyone at the court had been surprised with the resemblance the hatter's cousin bore with their land's champion. One of the servants draped Tally's brown curls elegantly and smiled pleased.

"How do I look?" The young girl asked curiously.

"Perfect." The queen said whilst clapping her hands happily again.

"I hope so." Tallulah sighed. She felt incredibly uncomfortable.

Behind her the door slammed.

"Go out! It's bad luck!" Tweedledee and Tweedledum were trying to block Tarrant's way as he marched into the room. His face bore no expression and his eyes were a deep green. He stopped in front of the queen and rasped in an accent that betrayed his madness. "If you forgive me, ma'am, but I should like a new set of needles type twelve A so I can finish my chores."

The queen gasped and shook her head. "You shall have them!" Her hands were resting on her cheeks and her face was one of pure disbelief. "But now you must go back to your chambers! You bring in bad luck."

Her eyes hastily searched those of her closed friends and they nodded at her. They had all noticed the way the hatter had entered the throne room. The March Hare rushed to Tarrant's side and took his arm to guide him away.

'Calm him.' The queen's eyes seemed to say. Everyone understood her concern and seemed to share it.

Tarrant looked bewildered when Thackery started to guide him away. Then his eyes caught a glimpse of his cousin wearing her white wedding gown and he forgot to breathe. As the March Hare dragged him out of the room he remembered to breathe again.

"Are you all right, mate?" Thackery wanted to know. Tweedledee and Tweedledum had followed and gazed curiously up at him.

"Ay, ay." Tarrant replied in his accent and caused for the others to be even more concerned about him.

"You may not see the bride before the wedding."Tweedledum shrieked.

"Have you seen her?" Tweedledee asked.

"Not in her wedding dress!" Tweedledum added.

"That's bad luck." Tweedledee nodded in agreement.

"What? Would seeing her naked be more of luck?" The hatter replied dryly. The two boys violently shook their heads and the hare jumped up and down.

"It's a custom! A custom, Tarrant! Don't you know anything?" He shrieked.

"Did you see her?" Tweedledee asked again.

"And her dress?" Tweedledum added carefully.

Tarrant gazed at both of them. Then he turned around to leave for his studio to continue on his suit. The two boys looked confused at each other and then pushed poor Thackery hard so that he had no choice but to follow the mad hatter.

"Wait up!" Thackery chirped and caught up with Tarrant again. The hatter didn't seem to notice the hare as he kept his gaze fixed in front of him. His lips were pressed into a thin line and his face looked as if it were made out of granite.

"Let me help you work, buddy." The hare said.

Tarrant pushed against the doors with a grunt.

"I don't need help." He snarled, clearly out of his hum.

"Yes you do." Thackery snorted and looked about the room.

Tarrant set himself down to work and ignored the hare. He picked up another piece of fabric and smelled it.

"I WILL help you." The hare screeched to catch his attention and succeeded. Tarrant turned around to face him and nodded absent-minded.

"Go get me a nice cup of hot tea."

He seemed more like himself again.

"Mint." He added with a lisp.

Thackery breathed relieved and nodded. "Ay, captain." He said whilst saluting his friend before marching out of the doors.

Tarrant grinned as he leaned back into his chair. His hand slipped down his pants and he breathed out with a moan as he stroked the engorged flesh there. His head lolled back as he started pumping in a firm pace.

"Alice." His accented voice chanted.

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_AU:My apologies for the short chapter. But it's better than nothing. And can you already feel what I'm working towards? Alice will appear in exactly two chapters time (Or is she already there? Did you notice any hints?) _

_Oh dear, I feel I could use with some more reviews before I might update the next chapter. And congrats to anyone who noticed my special way of naming the chapters xD. I'll update again when I've reached my secret amount of wanted reviews *insert angelic face here*._


	5. Baby I'm A Want You

_Disclaimer: _I don't own a thing. xD Stayne stalks me at the rpg! Thank ya 8D!

_Au – Keep them reviews comming ^_^It's the writer's food after all. Next chapter shall be…well, you can already guess it! __I'll upload it at 25 writer's cookies :P_

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**I dreamed you**

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'**BABY I'M-A WANT YOU'**

The thought of Alice's absence made his mood gloomy.

He sat staring out of the window, not bothering whether his suit would be finished in time or not. He had lost his mind days ago and he knew it. A glance at his broken watch told him that time wasn't on his side.

But that wasn't new to him.

In fact, he had gotten quite used to time being his enemy.

As it was today.

He sighed again and run a hand through his wild hair.

'If I miss Alice, could I have created Tally?' He was almost convinced that this had to be the case for the girl's resemblance was so very much like the girl he wanted to see and touch and hold. The hatter bit his lip a bit too hard and blood started to trickle down his chin but he ignored it. He had to ignore it because his beast ruled him. And no sense could govern his mind for he had lost it all. He'd lost his ego, his selfness, his mind, his muchness, his time and his Alice. And he had replaced them with cousin Tally.

Somehow he found it difficult to accept that his mind had created a new reality for him to live with. But on the other hand he was very much aware that if he hadn't he would have died for not having a reason to live anymore.

'Alice will not return. Not ever.'

He wanted to growl and claw to the voices like a primal animal but he knew he couldn't reach them. He could not stop his thoughts and the actions his body performed. His eyes were a dark colour that resembled both red and green in turns. His hands would tug at his hair and then massage his scalp. His top hat would be shifted from left to right nervously and every three minutes he would repeat the action.

He eyed the trashcan at the far end of the room which was filled with discarded fabrics and tissues covered with bodily fluids. He had been cutting himself more than usual because of his distracted mind, and he had to help himself on several occasions. Ever since the Cheshire Cat had disappeared from his side he had felt as if his hands had become his best friend and a replacement for what he wanted a special girl to do to him. Only one girl.

Her.

"Alice." He growled.

As if on cue the Cheshire cat appeared next to him. "Good day. Oh my, you do look unwell." He purred.

"Spill it, Chessur." The cat looked taken aback by the harshness of the hatter's voice and quickly circled above the bin. He noticed the amount of waste in there and eyed the hatter suspiciously.

"I think I already told you but you never took notice of me." He mewed sadly. "Is that what a good friend deserves?"

Tarrant snapped at him. "Told what?"

The cat swirled his tale. "She's here." He stated bluntly.

Tarrant's eyes grew wide as he remembered the voice of the cat echoing in his ears.

'She's here.'

He stood up from his chair in one swift moment and with the back of his hand he wiped his desk clean. All items crashed to the floor loudly.

Chessur rolled his eyes.

'Moods.'

Tarrant roared angrily. How could he have been so blind? " I thought you'd meant Tally!" He spat at the cat who rolled his eyes once more.

"Tally? She already was here when I told you. You just hadn't taken your time to visit her. Who else could I mean? Go ask McTwisp. He's been guiding her back to Underland on my request. I thought you wanted to have everybody present at your wedding?"

Tarrant smashed his fists against the desk and growled. "Everyone?"

The cat purred sadly. "What? Not even a 'thank you, madam?' "

Tarrant, obviously not in the mood for the cat's jokes, spun around to face his wedding suit. Somehow the image of his latest work seemed to calm him down.

'Almost finished.'

He smiled again.

"Where is she now?" His voice sounded low and raspy. Not his intention at all.

"With McTwisp. He guided her into the castle. Poor girl. She's very much tired. He said that the visit to the queen will be postponed until she has rested. If I'm not mistaken she should be in the white heart-shaped room below." Chessur purred annoyed when he noticed that Tarrant had already made a mad dash for the door.

"What have I done?" He asked himself dryly and grinned as usual. He knew that by giving the hatter all this information he had brought Alice into danger.

'Ah well, it might be the only chance to get him sane again. And she wouldn't mind, would she?' Chessur patted himself on the shoulder with his tail and after whispering a 'Good job, boy' to himself he vanished into thin air.

As Tarrant hurried down the corridors he could hear the voice of McTwisp echo from two floors below him.

"The queen doesn't know yet. It'll be a surprise." He sounded anxious and slightly not at ease. "We'll tell her when Alice has woken up."

Tarrant hastened further down the stairs and searched for the room where the champion should be. His hand found the knob and he opened the door without any trouble whatsoever. He found the room to be light to his surprise. At the far end he could see a bed on which a figure was seated. She was rubbing her eyes and seemed to have just awoken.

"Tarrant?" She gasped.

At the sound of her voice Tarrant could feel his blood start to boil again. The sweet hatter of before was still under the control of his darker side and heavily intoxicated by what he had found. "Alice?" He rasped.

She lifted herself from the bed and run over to him. Happy to finally see her best friend again she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for a hug. He hardly responded to her actions and she drew back with a puzzled look upon her face.

"Alice."

_Au: Aaaaaah! The suspense is killing meeee! Gosh I really dislike the title for this chapter. __Review with some cookies ^_^_


	6. Be Mine

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit.

Written as a reply to : 2010_Alice_kink

Au: A special thanks to all of you who have reviewed =) You keep me writing! And thanks cherehatter for all the cookies. I believe you've just expanded my vocabulary and pragmatic world knowledge XD

**

* * *

**

**I dreamed you**

* * *

**'Be Mine'**

She was there and she was so gorgeous and lively and vivid. And most of all she was there. The hatter's head raced with thoughts, memories and images of Alice. Everything he had ever thought of her and everything he had ever craved. Everything that he had imagined he would do to her and with her and it became too much.

Something inside of his mind snapped.

Alice was _his_ Alice. And he _wanted her _to stay. And he_ would _make her stay. She was his.

Tarrant's eyes changed into a darker colour and a wicked grin had appeared on his face. Alice didn't seem to notice this yet.

"How did you find me?" She smiled warmly at him and the question was a honest one.

How had he found her? Not even the Queen knew she was here. How did he?

Without a word he closed the gap between them. 'Mine.' The little voices sung inside his head. 'My Alice. Forever.' His hand sneaked up to her throat as he bend his head forward to place little kisses down her neck. Alice, shocked at first, didn't know what to think of her best friend's actions. She stood frozen.

"Tarrant?" The panic was audible in her voice. Without looking up at her Tarrant pushed her gently towards the bed until she felt the ridge against her knees and lost her balance. He was on top of her in a matter of seconds, fiddling with her dress before removing it swiftly and unbuttoning his own pants. His shirt had been tossed aside as he kept trailing small kisses up and down her now exposed body.

Alice tried to cover herself with all her might. Her cheeks were pink and her breathing had become ragged.

"Dear Alice." The accented voice rasped. It was then that Alice realized the hatter wasn't his normal self. He was his dangerous dark self again. Although she silently liked his actions she knew that he was going to take it too far. 'My innocence.' She thought worriedly.

"No!"

Alice tried and gathered all her might to push him away. Her arm knocked his top hat off of his head but other than that her struggling didn't seem to help. It only aroused Tarrant more, the evidence for that being obviously clear as he pressed his enlarged member against her creamy white thigh.

Alice gasped as she knew her protests were futile. She let herself be laid back onto the pillows and decided to relax and stay as still as possible.

Tarrant grinned at the beautiful sight in front of him and how his Alice seemed to be pensively staring up at where his top hat was moments before. He leaned forward to place a kiss on her lips again and felt how she slowly started to respond to him. Alice had closed her eyes and returned the kiss gently. She could feel that the raw kiss the hatter was giving her was being deepened by him and parted her lips slightly so that his tongue could enter and battle with hers. While she was wondering about how good his kiss felt she hadn't noticed that he had shifted. Realization only hit her when she could suddenly feel the tip of his penis pressing against her entrance and her eyes opened again to find Tarrant looking back at her.

He broke the kiss and smirked. She looked pleadingly at him as she was worried about what was to come, but he closed his eyes again and this time kissed her softly and less rough than before. The kiss occupied Alice's mind when he suddenly slammed forward in one swift motion and broke through her hymen.

Alice gasped but Tarrant was still claiming her mouth and now had her hands pinned above her head. When he noticed she wasn't struggling he loosened his grip on her arms and moved his hands to guide her hips.

He was moving slowly in and out of her. His movements were unsteady and irregular and Alice winced beneath him. "Hatter." She pleaded but this only aroused him more. She could feel him harden inside of her and tried to look him in the eye. His hands kept a firm grip on her hips as he kept thrusting. His darkened eyes were fixed upon her form as she gazed at him through half-lidded eyes. She silently envied him for being able to look at her like that. It made her feel warm inside.

His movements became harsher and faster as he bucked against her. His member now going in deeper and deeper. Wet sounds of where their bodies connected filled the room. Alice moaned out again. "Tarrant." He grumped as a reply to her cry and his eyes changed to another shade. He bend forward and nipped at her neck before placing soft kisses there. She gasped and arched her back, pressing herself to him.

He was now suckling the sensitive skin on her shoulder and she reached up to let her hands rest on his shoulders. She was holding onto him as his grinding got uneven again before he slammed into her incredibly slow. Her body started to shake as her walls clamped down hard on him, milking him.

Tarrant growled huskily and thrust a few more times until he buried himself to the hilt as his orgasm washed over him.

Alice had nuzzled her face against his shoulder and was still holding him by the shoulders when she felt hot liquid enter her. Her eyes widened at the realization and she immediately tried to push Tarrant off of her but he wouldn't budge and she gave up. With their legs and bodies still entangled they remained silent until Tarrant suddenly scrambled up onto his elbows. He looked down at Alice. His eyes were their normal green colour again and a smile appeared on his face. She couldn't help it and at seeing him smile returned a most charming one herself.

He slid out of her and edged to the other side of the bed where he started to dress himself again. Alice tried to sit up and reached out to cover her body with the blankets.

"You know," Tarrant suddenly began in a sweet voice, "The White Queen found back my cousin."

Alice listened to him with full interest. She was happy to hear that at least one member of Tarrant's family had survived.

"I will have to marry her tomorrow."

A sharp pang hit her chest as she couldn't believe her ears.

Tarrant was sounding so happy.

Little did Alice know that the hatter only sounded happy because he was not. And because he was nervous.

"What the queen says goes."

Alice was bewildered and stared in front of her. She moved her lips to speak but they were dry and her voice seemed to have left her.

"I will keep you with me, of course." He continued as he steadied his hat on top of his red hair. "You will just stay with me and her."

Alice felt her soul break more and more. She couldn't believe her ears and finally managed to utter some words.

"Can I think about it?" She asked carefully. The idea appalled her. And the fact that the man and friend she had missed the most had just ravished her and was now telling her that he was going to marry another as if it was the most normal thing in the world just simply hurt.

"Of course." Tarrant replied almost surprised. "But whatever you think about it won't matter, because you will stay with us. You're mine."

He wanted to turn to her when he could hear the White Queen call out for him. He stood up from the bed.

"I'll be right back." He lisped and made his way out of the room.

Alice realized he had never once looked at her after he had left her body.

The door was left ajar and Alice finished dressing before walking slowly towards it. Her body felt sore and her mind was filled with confusing thoughts as she opened the door even further. In front of her was a dark corridor which she had passed on her way here. And in the shades she saw another girl who was facing her.

Her expression the same as her own.

Shock.

Alice studied the girl but had to look only once to see that the girl was a perfect resemblance of herself. Her eyes filled with tears again and before the strange girl could reach out for her Alice had run down the corridor towards another wing.

She would take a different room to spend the night.

Visiting the Queen could wait.

* * *

_Au: Owww, aren't you mad at Tarrant? I know I am. How could he be so unsensitive? Well, he was his dark self but still.... I'm not sure if this is going the right way for both of them :P Review!_


	7. Lost

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit.

AU: All those comments on Tarrant were wonderful! Indeed he shouldn't have behaved like he had. And I believe Shining Through was the only one commenting with her hatred for Tally :P Wonderful! Well, I hope to update the next parts soon as they are all short chapters while I try to work towards my next goal inside the story ^_^ Here's a little something to keep you all off the streets :P

* * *

**I dreamed you**

* * *

**Lost**

'I could have known.' Alice thought while she slumped upon the bed.

She pressed her head into the pillows and grasped the blankets to cover her. The pillows also muffled her cry very well.

'I should have known.'

She didn't want to open her eyes. All she wanted now was to lie there and think.

'I thought I couldn't return until McTwisp brought me here.'

She sobbed silently into the pillow.

'I missed him so. Tarrant.'

She looked up again now, but only to take a deep breath.

'I didn't want him to be alone.'

She remembered the dream as if she was still in it – and in some way she reckoned she was. The landscape with the glowing sun and the singing flowers. And there amidst it all was the hatter, her best friend, with a new hat in his hands as he was sewing. He had sighed and told her how lonely he was. The selfless part of Alice's mind had thought that she should give him someone to make him happy. The selfish part of her mind had thought that she should have been the one.

It was the only logical explanation Alice could think of.

"I dreamed her up."

She sobbed.

"I dreamed her up so that he didn't have to be lonely."

Her heart wrenched and she brought up a hand to her chest at the pain she felt.

'But why did the rabbit bring me back?' To her horror she realized it must have all been a great mistake.

'I wasn't meant to return here. They should have lived happily ever after. I'm not wanted here.' At that though Alice cuddled into a ball upon the bed and started crying a bit louder again. She felt used and filthy. Her mind was clouded with negative thoughts and she wanted nothing more than to be back home again, aboveground.

While her thoughts were constantly returning to the conclusion that she had dreamed her own look-a-like to make Tarrant happy she hadn't noticed the person entering until she could hear the footsteps cease next to the bed. She slowly turned her head to let her puffy red eyes meet deep green ones. Alice opened her mouth but couldn't find the right words.

"Are you okay?" Tally sat down next to her and placed a hand on her side to comfort her. Alice wanted to reply but couldn't get any sound to escape her lips.

"I could hear you, the two of you." Tally hung her head and her brown curls fell upon Alice who tried her best to compose herself. She failed miserably though because her body was still shaking from emotions.

"What he did to you, I could hear it." The brunette continued. Alice looked up at her. Her bottom lip was trembling and fresh tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Tally suddenly hugged her close and Alice found that she could not be brave for much longer. She let the tears flow freely now and to her amazement she could hear Tally sob as well. The brunette kept her closely hugged to her own body as if she needed the comfort just as much.

"You?" Alice finally managed to say after a long period of silence and hugging.

"Oh, I'm sorry" Tallulah tried to smile warmly at the blonde girl in front of her and quickly dried her own tears. "I guess the famous Alice is known to all because of her being the champion." She looked pensively. "But the lost cousin is just the unknown Tallulah. Pleased to meet you." She offered to shake hands and Alice accepted.

"You're his cousin? I figured as much." She opened her mouth like a fish because she couldn't recall the girl's name. Her concentration was already lost when the girl had said the word 'cousin' and thus confirmed Alice's suspicions.

"Tally." Tallulah said and Alice smiled tiredly.

"Yes, Tally."

The girl smiled as Alice spoke her name and it made her feel proud to have met the champion of their world. And more importantly, the girl who her cousin craved for so much. Tally frowned. Alice looked quite upset and, by the sounds she had heard from the chamber before, she could only conclude that her cousin had fornicated with the champion. By the amount of tears shred she could also conclude that the champion wasn't very happy. And the only reason for her unhappy state could be cousin Tarrant.

Tally scooted closer to Alice again and her voice sounded worried. "He hurt you, didn't he?"

Alice only had to nod as a reply which she did and Tally cuddled her close again. Her heart hurt at seeing the blonde in so much misery. For someone who had saved the whole of Underland she deserved better.

"You know what?" She whispered to the blonde who listened carefully. Of course she didn't know what! If she had she wouldn't have returned to wonderland and suffered what she had now. Tarrant was going to marry this girl and he wanted to keep her as a pet or even worse; as a slave. Alice felt nauseous at the idea and leaned forward. The world began to spin in front of her eyes which she immediately squeezed shut. She tried to gasp for air which resulted into feeling vomit erupting from her depts. She tried to choke it back but the nauseous feeling was overwhelming and she had no choice but to let it all out.

Tally gasped.

"Alice!?"


	8. It's Now Or Never

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit.

Au: Sorry for the short chapter =) But it's better than nothing, eh?

* * *

**I dreamed you**

* * *

**It's Now Or Never**

Tally cuddled Alice close.

The blonde was sweating and trembling and looked up at herself in the mirror. Her first thought was that she looked pathetically miserable.

Tally smiled at her. "You start to look healthy again."

Alice frowned for she had just concluded the opposite.

Tallulah laughed at the girl's facial expression of stupidity. "Your cheeks, they colour again."

Alice ran her hands up into her hair.

"I feel horrid." She groaned. As she rubbed her temples she found herself surprised at seeing a glass of water being held in front of her nose.

"Drink this."

She glanced at Tally.

"Will it make me shrink?"

The brunette shook her head but Alice still didn't trust the situation.

"Will it make me grow?"

Tally rolled her eyes and started to clean up the vomit that had formed a pool next to the bed. "For Mirana's sake, just drink it! It's to get rid of the nasty taste." Alice shrugged and thought that she was too tired to let her inner self debate whether drinking from a glass of water would be dangerous or not. She sipped it while watching her resemblance cleaning the floor. The girl looked quite cute and Alice blushed as she realized she must look pretty much the same if she would do such a chore. It was a good thing she wasn't a cleaner then. If she had been she was a hundred percent sure that Hamish would have ravished her.

A shiver run down her spine and made her almost drop the glass.

'Tarrant.'

As far as she was concerned the hatter had taken her against her will and hadn't any romanticness planned for her. Alice could feel her heart clench inside her chest.

Why did her heart have to hurt so painfully?

Tally sat up on her knees and smiled at her. "Don't worry, Alice. We could go and see a doctor?"

Alice shook her head. "No, that won't be necessary. I think I'm just slightly traumatised by what has happened. I thought back at it and suddenly it made me feel so nauseous." She leaned back into a chair and finished her glass of water.

Tally stood in front of her, she had finished cleaning the floor, and smiled warmly. "You will help me?"

Alice looked up at her. Confusion was readable in her eyes and Tally's smile changed as her face turned pleading.

"Please, Alice. I don't want to marry my cousin tomorrow. He might be a wonderfully talented man and favoured at the court of both the white as well as the red queen but he is still family." Tally winced. Her eyes and voice where honest and Alice felt her heart sink. She hadn't thought it to be possible to feel this down in her whole life, but then again she was told that nothing was impossible except when you believed it was - her heart clenched again at remembering Tarrant's whispering voice as he spoke those words- and in fact Alice hadn't believed six impossible things before breakfast that day.

"You want me to help you stop the wedding?"

Tally smiled widely again and nodded her head vigorously. "Yes. Please say you'll help me?"

At the pleading puppy-eyed look the brunette was giving her Alice had to laugh.

"Sorry!" She exclaimed making Tally look sad. "I just realized how good I should be at manipulating people. You have the cutest face when you look so helpless."

Tally blinked and realized that Alice must be talking about their resemblance and slowly nodded her head.

"I will help you." Alice said with a smile as she stood up from the chair. She grabbed for her lower abdomen and winced at the pain she felt when she rose from her seat. Tally eyed her warily but decided not to comment on it as she had no idea what had passed between her and Tarrant exactly.

Alice tried to ignore the feeling of emptiness and loss. It was a feeling that reminded her of how Tarrant had taken away her innocence.

"Just tell me what I can do."

Tally smiled. "It's simple. We just have to ruin all that is prepared."


	9. Smells Like Teen Spirit

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit. I absolutely dislike this chapter's title. I shouldn't keep pushing the button to play a random recording.

Written as a reply to : 2010_Alice_kink

* * *

**I dreamed you**

* * *

**Smells Like Teen Spirit**

Mirana looked down at McTwisp.

"You've felt it?"

McTwisp hastily nodded his head and opened his mouth to speak but the queen beat him to it.

"Did you hear it?" A smile grew upon her face. She could feel the presence of their champion in her own castle.

"That's what I came to tell you, your majesty." McTwisp cheered. "Lady Alice had returned to be present at the wedding."

Mirana smiled widely. "That is great!" She clapped her hands joyfully and her servants made sounds of agreement. "She can be our guest of honour."

She turned back to her throne and the worried look that passed her face was only seen by Mallymkun who gulped nervously. Mirana was not one to wonder about how Alice had returned. Somewhere she knew that it should have been impossible and she suspected one of her furry fellows to have lead her back into wonderland.

"Let her rest first, milady." The white rabbit suggested carefully and Mirana nodded. "

Of course. She must be very tired. She shall rest first."

She sat up straight onto her throne and looked at her servants. Bayard sat next to her side, panting heavily.

"She must be fit enough to attend the wedding tomorrow." The queen mused delighted. The dog looked up at her expressionlessly and the march hare snorted loudly.

Apparently they couldn't care less.

They were used to hear the queen rattling on about anyone or anything. As the conversation turned about the preparations for the wedding a noise could be heard on the stairs.

Mirana said on her throne brilliantly as she shared her wisdom with her friends. But then she got distracted. The room above her was occupied.

Unbeknownst to her.

In the room above the throne a mad man was claiming his prize. The sounds that were made as he advanced on her and made her fall onto the bed were but soft thuds as they reached the throne room. Nevertheless the actions were noticeable. The queen already felt the distraction because of the act. A sound reached her ears and an eerie feeling plagued her stomach. She grabbed her belly and leaned forward on her throne.

"HATTER!"

Some of the servants looked bewildered at her and the twins took a step aside. She called out again and again until finally the doors swung open.

Tarrant, who had just regained his own self again, had his plans ruined as he had to obey his majesty. The darker side of him took over as soon as he pushed the doors to the throne room aside and with that ignored the servants who offered to open it up for him.

In stepped a man with dark circles under his eyes and a wide grin on his face.

"You called me, ma'am?" His hoarse voice rasped and Mirana looked at him worried.

The mad man was still reigning? What had happened? The White Queen hoped for the best but feared the worst. Something had happened and she was almost a hundred percent sure of it.

The frog servants jumped to the side, clearly scared of the crazed look in the hatter's eyes. All that was on his mind was the bliss he had shared with Alice. His Alice. 'Mine.'

He hadn't even had the chance to look at her properly and discuss their future. He looked up at the White Queen and half expected for his cousin to be there as well, but she was nowhere in sight. Mirana took a deep breath and smiled at him.

"Yes, dear hatter. I need your help. It's about the wedding."

Tarrant's eyes darkened but the colour around his eyes seemed to fade slightly. "What about it, ma'am?"

Mirana shifted uneasily on her throne.

Bayard had left her side to sniff the hatter who looked irritated at him and shooed him away. The dog's eyes glazed as the White Queen quickly thought of something to occupy the hatter. She stuttered for him to do a baloney chore just to make sure he was busy and out of the way. She didn't want him to ruin things now that his crazed self had taken control again.

What if he would hurt their Alice?

Tarrant agreed to her silly demands and turned around again to follow the March Hare into the kitchen. Mirana sighed relieved but Bayard placed his head on her lap and looked at her with a sad face.

"Your majesty?"

She looked at him with a half-hearty smile. "What is it, Bayard?"

He licked her hand once.

"It's Alice."

Mirana blinked confused at him.

"The hatter smells like Alice."

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Au: What should I do about Alice? What do you think? Kiddo or no kiddo? And if so boy or a girl? Let's hear the fans' opinion =P R&R?


	10. End of the Road

_Au: Sorry for the lack of updates! I've been ill and busy with essays and research =)_

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit.

Written as a reply to : 2010_Alice_kink

* * *

**I dreamed you**

* * *

'**End of the Road'**

She looked at the flags and flowers made of paper that now lay scattered around on the floor. The whole room looked as if a tornado had run straight through it.

At the entrance the tall column made of sturdy white double-walled fluted corrugate with cardboard tops was lying on the floor. It was cracked and battered.

No one would walk through it.

Alice felt nauseous again. If this had been her wedding she would have felt really bad to find everything wrecked and broken. She felt almost sorry for having to ruin the hatter's feast. After all a wedding should be the most beautiful day of one's life, right?

She massaged her temples and took a deep breath. Tally noticed this and popped up behind her.

"Alice?" She sounded worried and placed her hands on Alice's shoulders. "Would you like to sit down?"

Alice smiled faintly on that for no chair in the room was left intact. She shook her head and tried to sooth the girl that looked so much like her. "No, I'll be just fine."

Tally frowned and the worried expression was still readable on her face but she nodded and kept silent. Both girls strolled over to the table at the centre of the room. The huge white cake on it was squashed into tiny pieces.

"They will be so upset." Alice stated out of sympathy rather than accomplishment. Her feelings were still battling inside of her. She was left confused after all the events that had happened the past day. How the hatter had used her and smiled at her afterwards. She cringed and felt that the urge to cry of misery was increasing.

Tally smiled proudly at their work and put her hands on her hips. She flung her brown curls back, over her shoulder, and looked at Alice again. "Exactly what we want. When they see this the marriage will not be able to take place. I'm sure they will undertake actions."

Things were never without consequences.

Alice hadn't thought about what would happen and now that she did it frightened her. What if the White Queen still ordered for the wedding to take place? And she had to face _him_ again. She felt as if she couldn't and her heart broke as she spoke to her resemblance.

"Tally," her voice was weak and quivering, "I can't stay."

The girl frowned worried at her. "Why not? What do you mean, Alice?"

Alice smiled weakly at her. "I need to return home. To my mom and Dinah and Lord Ascot. I _need_ to return home. I can't face him, not after...." She couldn't finish her sentence as her strength left her and she started to sob silently.

Tallulah didn't need to hear the rest and hugged her close to her. She hushed her. "It's okay, Alice. You must do what you think is right."

Her world's vision was blurred now as well. Tally was unfamiliar with relationships and had no idea what her cousin had done to their champion. All she knew was that this sweet girl was hurting. And if she wanted to go home then that might just be for the best. She gently patted her back.

"It's all right, Alice." Tally knew the penalty for ruining the wedding would be harsh and she was determined to carry it herself. She looked out of the window and her eyes met the faint traces of the sun. "You should leave now, before it's all dark."

Alice smiled weakly. "Thank you." She stood there studying the other girl for a while and nibbling on her own lip.

"Will you be all right?" She finally asked and Tally laughed. She had revealed her white wedding dress and had started to change. Alice watched as the girl slid off her white dress and replaced it for the wedding article. Then she helped her zip it and took a step backwards again to admire the hatter's cousin.

"It looks great on you." She said with a faint smile.

"I'll be all right. I'll wait here for them to find me, even if I'll have to wait all night." Tally did her best to reassure Alice, even though she felt very insecure and frightened herself. Somehow Alice's confused mind didn't register the signals of distress coming from Tally and she just nodded with a smile.

"Thank you." She whispered before placing a kiss on Tallulah's cheek. The brunette blinked and stood perplexed. She watched as Alice left the room and hurried away, to the rabbit hole and back to her own land and world aboveground. Then she gripped the seams of her wedding gown and started to tear them apart. The sounds of the tearing filled the room as she cried out helplessly.

She had failed her cousin. She had upset their champion. She had ruined the White Queen's plans for a marriage. And now she feared for her own life.

_'Just make it back safely, Alice. I'm doing this all for you.'_


	11. Nothing Ever Hurt Like You

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit.

Written as a reply to : 2010_Alice_kink

* * *

**I dreamed you**

* * *

'**Nothing Ever Hurt Like You'**

Alice was running.

She didn't mind looking back at the rabbit hole which she had crept out of. She didn't mind thinking of what had once been known as 'wonderland' to her. Her mind was completely blank and all she could think of was home.

She kept running. Her inner self was hurting with each step she took away from Underland. She knew she hadn't even said 'hi' to the White Queen and that she had left without showing herself to anyone else but McTwisp and Tally.

All the others she had blocked from her mind.

The white rabbit had lead her there. How often had she not tried to go back? To return to Underland would be like a dream coming true. And now that it had it had turned into a nightmare.

Raped.

She clutched her hand on her belly and kept running, all the while blinking her tears away and trying to stay focussed on her goal which was her home. Underland had showed her those she had wanted to see the most and it had left her broken.

Betrayed.

She let out a soft cry, knowing that no one was around to hear her desperate plies. She wished she could have drunk some Jabberwocky blood and that it had transported her home. She wished the White Queen would have stood up for her and sent her back home by using her magical skills. Instead she now had to run home, as fast as her legs could carry her. Her vision was blurred by now and her breathing rapid and unsteady. Her heart caught in her throat and she felt as if she was going to have an attack.

Her hand searched for support against a wall of a house. She looked up at it and saw, by the number next to the door, that she was close to home.

Her mind tried to block out the memory of the hatter. How he was leaning over her and how he was moving inside of her. Her body still ached at the thought of him and it reminded her of how she should have been stronger.

Another pitiful cry escaped her lips.

Now his cousin was left between the rubbish they had created. She was now standing in the midst of a battlefield that had been created by them to stop the inevitable.

"I'm such a fool." Alice blamed herself silently.

Why did she follow McTwisp? She noticed that she had finally reached her house and entered. She shut the door and rushed to her room, ignoring the voice of her mother as she called for her or the cheering greeting that was given to her by her little brother.

Once she was inside her room she stood in front of her mirror and studied herself.

'A looking-glass.' She thought.

Mirrors could function as portals, couldn't they? At her doubting thoughts the mirror seemed to blur before her, presenting a nice view of the wedding plaza. She could see how the White Queen made gestures and how her soldiers came to drag Tally away.

Alice tried to ignore the image of the hatter who stood at the side and watched silently. She didn't even notice his defeated expression. Instead, she focussed her gaze on his cousin and watched her being taken away. It was clear she had to be punished. The White Queen wouldn't kill her minions, would she?

Alice let herself fall down onto the bed.

There was only one punishment she could think of that would be appropriate in this case. They had gone against Mirana's wishes and had ruined all the hard work of her and her servants. They had even destroyed the wedding dress and the cake. One punishment was all that came to mind as Alice remembered how the White Queen had reacted on Frabjous Day.

Alice whispered softly. "I was right after all. I did dream Tally up."

She looked at herself in the mirror again. The image of Underland had faded.

"But not for Tarrant."

No, not for him.

How could she have been such a fool not to realize it before?

A soft whisper escaped her lips.

"Stayne."


	12. Wedding Bells

_Au: Still in the middle of exams and other busy projects. So you'll have to forgive my lack of updates. It will last for another two weeks. This goes for all requests and stories I'm working on. I'm sorry for the inconvenience and long waits._

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit.

Written as a reply to : 2010_Alice_kink

* * *

**I dreamed you**

* * *

**Wedding Bells**

The White Queen looked quite distressed as she marched up and down the room.

"How could she have done this? Against my explicit orders... How could she? Is it that hard to obey? Being disloyal! With all the honour I've given to her. Now there will be no fun and no party."

Tally had just been dragged away by her guards. She was to be brought to the border of the land and was banished to the outlands. Her insolent behaviour could not be tolerated and therefore, for ruining such an important wedding, she had been punished heavily. It was etiquette and the queen had been left with no other choice.

She held her hand against her head and kept pacing to and fro.

McTwisp hurried to her side and raised his little paw again. He spoke rapid and tripped over his words because of the speed he used to pronounce them. "Ma'am? It's Alice! She's gone?"

Mirana turned to him in shock and gasped. With everything bad that had happened this news was something Mirana could hardly take. Their champion, who without her knowing it had been taken to her castle, had left without actually seeing and talking to her. Another impudent move. Behind her a sharp intake of breath could be heard as the hatter grew angry again. The black bags had formed again underneath his eyes and he roared angrily. His eyes were spread wide and had turned a golden colour instead of the usual frog-green tint.

Everyone present in the room took a step backwards to make room for the mad hatter as he came up close to Mirana.

"Gone?" Mirana looked at McTwisp before looking at Mallymkun again. She addressed the mouse in hopes to avoid talking to Tarrant. "Has anyone seen her? Where did she go to?"

Mallymkun shrugged carefully and looked up at her queen.

"This is just marvellous." The queen continued in her rage and desperation. "Now there will be no wedding! Alice is gone and our bride has been exiled to the Outlands." She turned and came face to face with the mad hatter, a devilish expression on his face as the dark circles seemed to indicate his dangerous mood. "Your cousin wasn't worth it. Now we shall never have the Hightopp clan alive."

Tarrant flinched inwardly. The White Queen had been insulting his cousin and blaming his love. And now she was saying his family would be extinct soon.

"They were our best people. The best people we had in our kingdom." Mirana stated sadly. The hatter tried to keep himself in control but could feel his sanity fading fast. His mind was racing and the only thought that started to echo inside his head was the name of his Alice.

"Tally is sent away." Mirana sighed sadly as she ignored the silent hatter, who stood brooding in front of her, and passed him to take place on her throne again. "Alice is gone."

Something snapped inside of Tarrant and he growled. His golden eyes looked up at the queen as if he was blaming her. And the queen, feeling his anger and madness, gestured to her guards to stand ready to protect her.

"Alice is gone?" He roared. The White Queen looked at her friend in fright. It was obvious to anyone that he had now definitely lost his mind. But instead of advancing on the queen he took a step backwards.

"Wait?" Mallymkun dared to say. "Where are you going?"

McTwisp quivered and quickly hid behind a chair. "To Alice," he piped, "he's going after Alice."

Tweedledum and Tweedledee, who had been standing to the right of the throne, finally spoke up. "But how will he know if he has the right Alice?"

"He must have the right Alice."

"He can't have the wrong one."

The queen watched the hatter as he had stopped in his tracks. She watched him closely as he stood with his back towards her.

Mallymkun tried again. "Are you going after Alice?"

She couldn't be far now, could she?

"Of course I'm going to go after her." He growled in his thick accent. "What do you take me for? That I should sit here, withering away like some kind of fool!"

He took his coat and put it on in one swift movement.

"My Alice is out there somewhere, on her own. Do you think I would just let it be like that?" The whole company looked at the hatter in awe as he stampeded out of the room, leaving them with the impression of a broken and dangerous man.

"Someone go after him or this will not end well." Mirana managed to utter as she steadied her crown on top of her white curls. Immediately Mallymkun nodded and dashed after the hatter, shortly followed by Chessur and Bayard. The cat snickered and the dog was panting due to his old age. They had to hurry to keep up with the tiny dormouse who was already disappearing from view.

Mirana slumped back into her chair again and looked at the twins. "It's a pity she left. Without Tally here, Alice would have been the only other suitable bride for Tarrant."

The twins looked at each other before looking at their queen again. It was clear by the expression on their faces that they had no idea what the queen was on about and how serious the matter really was.

"If only Alice had stayed." She pondered out loud. "Tarrant could have been married."


	13. Fight For This Love

_Au - Same note as the former chapter. I'm too busy with my education and health to have time left to write, so the updates will take longer and won't be very long. I apologise for that. I do acknowledge that most of my free time is spent on several rpgs around the net instead xD I'll try to write more and if I'm correct I should have time again after this week. Just wish me luck =)_

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit.

Written as a reply to : 2010_Alice_kink

* * *

**I dreamed you**

* * *

'**Fight For This Love'**

Alice clutched her pillow close and kept staring blankly in front of her. She didn't want to tell anyone. She didn't want to see anyone.

Her mother knocked on the door and entered her room with a worried expression on her face.

"Alice."

Alice turned on her side so she didn't have to face her mother.

"Is it true?"

She kept silent.

"Is it true what the maids say?" This time her mother's voice was stern and demanding and Alice tried to block out her voice.

"Haven't you had your period anymore?"

Alice sat up on the bed and glared at her mother through fresh tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. "Mom." Her crackled voice made her mother jump. It was clear that Helen was concerned about her daughter and that was also the reason why she tried to be severe now. If Alice had been sleeping around with others before her marriage it would be a scandal and it would ruin the chances on a future filled with luxury.

Helen leaned against the wall opposite from her tear-stained daughter. "You do know how to bring our family name into danger, don't you?"

Alice couldn't stop her tears anymore and had to let them flow freely. "Mom!" She cried out again and buried her face in her hands. How could she tell her mother that she had slept with the man she loved? How could she tell her mother that the man she loved had simply abused her? How could she tell her mother all this when he was in a land no one could normally-wise reach?

"Who was it?" Her mother crossed her arms in front of her chest and tried to sound calm, but the harshness of her voice only felt as a knife to Alice.

"Not Hamish I hope. You refused him remember?"

Her words were bitter and filled with repugnance. She only wanted the best for her daughter and herself.

"No, MOM!" Alice yelled and threw her pillow towards her mother who looked back at her with wide eyes. She couldn't believe how obstinate her daughter had become.

"I hope you'll tell me once you've calmed down." Her mother whispered through gritted teeth before closing the door behind her.

Alice cuddled herself and fell back upon her bed, her tears never ceased and her body shook violently because of all the emotions. She thought she wasn't going to survive this all. The betrayal of her own mind, the abuse by her friend, the wrath of her mother and the imminent birth of a child with an unearthly look.

A soft knock sounded on the door and Alice curled into a small ball, hoping that she could block out whoever was waiting to come in. What if it was her mother again?

The door opened and Alice squeezed her eyes shut tight.

"Alice?" It was the voice of her little brother Charles.

"What is it?" She sounded irritated. Her brother had already entered the room and came closer to her. "Charlie?" She looked up at him and had expected to meet a grin. He looked serious instead.

"Are you all right, sister?" Alice looked up at him in surprise. Since when had her younger brother become sensitive?

"Yes." She knew it was a big fat lie but what else was she to do?

"I heard mama yelling at you." Alice lay down onto her own bed again and rested her chin on her hands. "Just let her yell." He run up his little hand into her hair to comfort his sister and Alice felt herself calm down at his touch. Her little brother seemed to understand her, unlike her mother. She needed some support right now.

"Thank you, Charlie."

A small smile was her reward. "I don't think mama meant to hurt you."

She growled under her breath. "She could have brought her 'sermon' a bit more tactful." Charlie smiled even wider and cuddled close to his sister. "Alice?"

She hummed and looked up at him.

"Are you going to marry just like sister Margaret did?"

Alice could feel a sharp pain within her chest at his words. "Maybe, one day." Her voice was hoarse and broken again. But this didn't seem to matter to Charlie who kept her close.

"Make sure you'll marry someone nice, someone who's not like Lowell."

Alice snickered. "Don't worry, Charlie. If I'll marry someone it'll be someone mad." Her brother laughed at her words. This was the Alice he knew. But while her brother was happily snuggled against her Alice's mind shouted only one painful word.

'_Hatter.'_

* * *

_Au: Second Au for this day xD In case you're wondering; Alice is said to have a brother so I added him and named him Charlie (after his father). And yes, you can guess where Alice is going in this fic. Cookies?_


	14. Broken Strings

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit.

Written as a reply to : 2010_Alice_kink

_Au: Finally I've had time to write again. I should be starting to upload new chapters to all of my stories running. For anyone interested: I've been trying to edit fanvids you can find them on my LJ. I'm still accepting requests and working on some. For now all I can say is 'enjoy!' And to anyone reading my Stayne/Alice stories: Poor Child: A new (and this time longer) chapter shall be uploaded before the end of the week. A Matter of smallness is on a hold and I can't guarantee when the next chapter will pop up. There's a new version of 'Stockholm Syndrome' coming up featuring Stayne/Alice/Tarrant. For Tarrant/Alice fans: I'm planning to continue on 'In the Nick of Time' but just like a matter of smallness it's on the bottom of my to-do list. For femmeslash fans all I can say is that I've received a Alice/Mirana request so I should start working on that somewhere next week. That's all for now =)_

* * *

**_I dreamed you_**

* * *

'**Broken Strings'**

"Stay out of me way, ya shiprats." Tarrant lifted his right foot but couldn't place it down onto the ground again for Mallymkun had jumped underneath.

"No, hatter!" She piped courageously. "You must listen to me. Listen to reason."

Tarrant grumbled under his breath and cracked his fists. Listening to reason would be a first timer for him. Reason had never done him any good, had it?

"I won't listen to ya scum." His accent was still thick and Outlandish.

"She's quite right, you know. You could always try and not listen to reason as well." Chessur purred in his ear. This only irritated the mad hatter even more and he waved his hand at the cat in an attempt to get rid of him. But Chessur faded his body except for his head and Tarrant's hand met nothing but air.

"I don't need ya two."

"Yes you do!" Mallymkun chirruped and jumped onto the back of Bayard who had finally managed to catch up with them. The poor dog gasped when the dormouse jumped on top of him.

"You don't even know where to look for her, now, do you?"

Tarrant fell silent after hearing Mallymkun's words. She was right. A quick reply without having thought of the words before they'd already been spilled. "I follow me instinct."

"And have her raped again?" The cat purred near his ear.

Tarrant's eyes turned wide and the black bags underneath his eyes increased. "She knows I love her!"

Mallymkun had covered her ears because the hatter had started shouting again. "Sure. It's easy to guess that someone loves you if he tells you he'll marry _another_." She retorted.

Tarrant froze. "Did I do that?" He looked at the Cheshire cat before his eyes met those of Bayard. "I did do that, didn't I?" The full realization of the stupidity with which he had handled finally seemed to get to him. Another growl escaped his lips. "I can make it up to her."

Mallymkun placed a hand on her hip. "And how are you planning to do that, sunshine? Walk up to her and apologize?"

Tarrant narrowed his eyes in thought. He had calmed down a bit because of his friends and now looked down at the dormouse once more. "Yeah, I'll do that."

The cat snickered. "With a nice colourful bunch of flowers. Try blue delphinium to match her dress, or daises, those are Alice's favourites."

The hatter seriously considered the cat's words.

"Yes, I might do that."

"And then everything will be fine again." Mallymkun asked.

"Yes." Why wouldn't it?

"You nitwit! Where's your sensitiveness?" Mallymkun jumped up from Bayard's back and onto the hatter's trousers which she climbed rapidly in order to give a punch to his face. "A girl wants romanticness. But before she sleeps with the guy. It's an ancient pattern, hatter. You talk to her, date her, take it slow and careful, give her some presents."

Tarrant frowned at the tiny mouse. "So I just skipped a few steps." He said in his defence. "I wasn't meself really." His accent was still present just like the bags beneath his eyes. But the fact that he hadn't slapped Mallymkun for punching him meant that he'd calmed down a bit and was now focussing on their words.

"I'll prove me love to Alice."

The mouse hold on tight to him as he started walking again. Chessur and Bayard quickly followed at his side. His words had sound so determined and convincing that they knew he meant it.

He'd always loved Alice and he would love her, always.


	15. Love Story

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit.

Written as a reply to : 2010_Alice_kink

Au: Short chapter. But rather something than nothing at all =D

* * *

**I dreamed you**

**

* * *

**

**"Love Story"**

Alice was at home.

She untied her hair and shook it so the tresses spilled neatly down her shoulders. A small smile was on her lips at the thought of today's party. Margaret had celebrated her birthday and the whole family had attended.

With a satisfied sigh, because she hadn't spotted Lowell touching anyone else but her sister, she plumped onto her bed and looked into her mirror. She had strapped little ribbons around the surface so that no one of Underland could easily enter her room. But then again she wondered if anyone ever would want to enter her world anyway. She knew McTwisp could and would, but he always used his rabbit hole.

She let out another heavy sighs and stared at the ceiling of her bedroom. Somehow she was easily tired these past few weeks. At closing her eyes to take a quick nap she could hear how someone entered her room.

'Hatter?'

Why was he still in her mind? She was trying to forget. _Forget. Forget_.

"Alice?"

Alice could thank the gods at hearing her brother's voice. "Charlie?"

He smiled at her and came to stand next to her bed. Alice, being too tired or too lazy to sit up straight or shift position, opened her eyes to look at him and returned his smile.

"Are you okay?"

How come he had turned into a thoughtful young lad? A frown passed her face as she sat up leaning on her elbows.

"Yes, I'm fine." She was glowing slightly and looked pale. Her loose hair left an untidy impression. At seeing her brother take a step forth she finally sat up.

"You don't look as if you mean it." Charlie sat down next to her on the bed and before Alice could stand up he had blocked her way by placing his hand on her belly.

"Alice? Aunt Imogene tells me you're expecting."

Alice looked shocked at him. Aunt Imogene had said that? But no one knew. And it was hardly visible. Unless her mother had been talking but Alice was a hundred percent sure that Helen wouldn't want for shame to be brought upon the family.

She felt silly as she opened and closed her mouth like a fish. No words would come forth. Her eyes travelled to where her little brother's hand was resting upon her belly, as if he was feeling for the child. It was too soon to notice any movement though. Finally she placed her hand on top of his.

"Charlie," She started with a broken voice, "Aunt Imogene is delusional."

But her brother only gave her a crooked grin to indicate he wasn't falling for the excuse.

"This is why mama has been mad at you, isn't it?"

All Alice could do was to give a slight nod. Her brother smiled widely again. "Who's the father?"

Pangs of pain in her chest made her remove her hand from Charlie's and place it next to her upon the bed. "Oh, Charlie, he is not from around here."

Charlie's eyes grew wide. "You mean you've slept with a foreigner? A stranger? A sailor, per chance?"

His interest in the whole matter started to irritate her. She hadn't been feeling well for such a conversation anyway. Her reply was a short snarl through gritted teeth. "No."

Why on earth would she degrade herself to the level of commoners? She had slept with the hatter of a royalty. Her mind started to get cloudy and she rubbed her eyes.

"Did you love him?" What kind of a question was that? She still loves him. A shocked expression slipped onto her face as she looked up at her brother. He immediately caught the meaning behind her expression.

"You still do. What happened?"

But Alice felt too tired. "Not today, Charlie."

Her brother nodded and placed his arm around his sister.

"Rest, Alice."

She smiled in relief and lay down upon her bed again. Her little brother nuzzled against her to comfort her. His warmth seemed to ease Alice who closed her eyes again to fall asleep with a small smile.

Charlie couldn't sleep yet. His sister's words plagued his mind. Who was the man she'd been with and when had this happened? Why had she looked so sad and why didn't she want to talk about it? A feeling of pride rushed through him at the thought that he would become an uncle. But another feeling could be felt as well. He felt as if he needed to protect his sister. And if that man showed up, well, he would tell him the truth and show him what he'd done to Alice. He would make sure his sister would be happy again. At his new ideas and intentions he also fell asleep with a smile.

Behind them, for a split second, the mirror glowed softly.

Footsteps could be heard as Helen Kingsleigh went to check upon her child, only to find both her children curled up against each other on the bed. A displeased look appeared on her face. Alice still seemed like a child, carefree and misbehaving, but the time had come for her to become a real adult. Helen was wringing her hands. Alice's behaviour and attitude had to change. And Helen would make sure she'd change into a proper young lady.

With or without child.


	16. Sweet Escape

_Au- My laptop has crashed during which I've lost the newest chapters to this story as well as Poor Child. Argh, I'm really frustrated about it. Luckily I managed to rewrite this chappie real quick for you. I can tell you there's some trouble ahead =/_

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit. I think all my readers have gone on a holiday xD

Written as a reply to : 2010_Alice_kink

* * *

**I dreamed you**

* * *

'**Sweet Escape'**

"What?" Mallymkun piped as she clung to Tarrant's pants.

"I said I c'nt get through this!" The hatter's agitated look told his friends more than enough. The portal to the Upperland wouldn't let the hatter pass. He was banging his hands against the doors that lead to the rabbit hole and when that wouldn't work he started banging his head against it as well. A groan of pain could be heard when he noticed how his favourite hat was now dented. He gracefully took the hat off to fix this little blemish. His eyes still held the dark circles underneath but his friends had gotten used to it by now.

"But that's preposterous!" Mallymkun piped again.

"Yeah, well, thank ya' for yer discouraging infermation." Tarrant wasn't in the mood to be let down. He had to get to Alice. His whole body and mind were focussed upon reaching her and making up for his past mistakes. Surely she would understand, right?

Bayard was barking loudly. "This isn't going to work." He lamented and the Cheshire Cat agreed with him.

"Tarrant, did you ever try to get to her before? I believe you have."

The hatter grumped and looked at him sideways. "What if I 'ave?"

The cat rolled his eyes and drifted in a circle upon his back. "Did you manage to reach her?"

The hatter shook his head and spread his arms desperately. "Nay, I've never managed to reach Upperland."

The cat snickered at him. "You've never visited the aboveground because you don't belong there, Tarrant."

The green frog eyes shone a dangerous amber again as the hatter reached for the cat's throat in an attempt to strangle him. "I bloody well belong at 'er side!"

"Hatter!" Mallymkun was trying to withhold Tarrant by pulling at his pants once more. "There must be some other way."

A monotone voice piped in and interrupted the fight. "But of course," a languid pause, "there is." Followed by a confirmation.

The fellowship looked up to see a butterfly dancing against the clouds.

"Absolem!" Mallymkun shouted happily and cheerfully snatched the butterfly out of the air to hear him cry in agony. "Will you let me go?" But Mallymkun was already hugging the poor fellow.

"Now tell me ya scum. How do I reach my Alice?" The sharp and raspy voice of the hatter caught Absolem's attention and he turned to look at him in fright.

"My, you don't look well." The nasal voice muttered. "Not that you ever have."

At seeing how the dog and cat gazed at him in hope he sighed and shrugged his butterfly wings.

"There's a way leading to Alice's world. But it will mean heading west."

Mallymkun gasped. "The Outlands?" With her words she automatically released the blue butterfly from the tight embrace and watched how he, with a sigh of relief, quickly darted up into the sky again.

"Have you never wondered why you couldn't pass, Tarrant?" He had now come to fly on such a height that he was eye level with Tarrant. At seeing the hatter's face he had to frown. The dark circles and crazed look carried within the golden orbs told Absolem how grave the situation really was. He turned to face the cat and the dog again. "The hatter has been poisoned by his tools. It's part of his trait."

Mallymkun gasped again. "Mercury."

With a firm nod the butterfly flew higher again and turned his attention to the hatter once more. "The huge amounts of the substance are lethal in Alice's world. If you were to pass you'd be dead almost instantly."

Sharp intakes of breath could be heard as each and every animal present gaped at one another. The hatter would die almost instantly if he were to visit the world above. Wouldn't his attempts to make up with Alice only point to an imminent death?

Absolem continued in a sepulchral voice. "The White Queen placed a spell so you can't pass. A spell which works anywhere,"

Before he could finish Chessur had already continued the sentence. "Except for the Outlands."

The queen had been smart but even her powers didn't extend to that part of the world. The Outlands provided the only route for the hatter to enter Alice's world.

Mallymkun looked up worriedly at him and tugged his pants once again.

"Hatter, you won't go, will you?"

Her small voice was filled with concern and sorrow. But the determined look upon his face told her he would. Of course he would go and try, even if it meant his death. This was typical stubborn behaviour Tarrant would show once he'd set his mind upon things. Mallymkun tried to accept his choice and gave a firm nod.

"Then I'll come along with you."

The hatter's eyes lightened at the support he'd received of his friend.

Chessur purred and flew over to swirl his tail around Absolem. "And so will we."

The hatter's smile grew while Bayard barked. "We'd promised Mirana we would look after you. We won't have you die before you've reached Alice."

With a scowl upon his face the hatter kneeled to smack his palm against the forest floor.

"Don't remind me!"

Why was everyone keen to talk about his demise when they hadn't even reached a suitable and useable portal? At his snarl the dog quickly took a step backwards.

Chessur, in the meanwhile, had a brief exchange of words with the butterfly. His whispers weren't heard by the other companions but the butterfly nodded and flew away. The Cheshire Cat smiled at the sight of Absolem disappearing from view. If the hatter had little time in Alice's world it would be a shame if he'd ended up at the other end of the town. Perhaps McTwisp remembered the route to Alice's home and Chessur hoped that Absolem would be able to collect this piece of valuable information. Apart from that it was also necessary for someone to inform the White Queen that the hatter was indeed going to cross borders. Mirana had wanted the talented man to mate but she might lose her last Hightopp citizen because of this wish.

Tarrant finally looked up at the cat again. With a sigh Chessur concluded: "This has all put me off my tea."

* * *

_Au- Review for more xD! Or are there more fans around for StaynexAlice? Naah! You won't let yourself be beaten by them, will you =3? Give the author some cookies!_


	17. Lucky

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit. I've lost this chapter. I've been rewriting it from my holiday location (it turned out different than it was before). Sorry to have kept you all waiting =3

Written as a reply to : 2010_Alice_kink

* * *

**I dreamed you**

* * *

'**Lucky'**

"Alice?"

She turned her head to the voice of her mother. The woman was looking at her, tight-lipped and with a stern gaze, and beckoned her. With a sigh of annoyance Alice obeyed.

"We will have a visitor today. Go and put on your blue dress. You must look your finest."

Alice moped. "I thought Margaret was going to visit?"

Seeing her sister wouldn't require her most beautiful and expensive dress. Her mother just rolled her eyes and Alice was left with no other choice but to do as she was told. Muttering words that aren't fit for a lady, she stalked to her room to change.

Charlie popped up behind her and caught her wrist.

"Alice! Did you hear it? Hamish is visiting today."

She stopped in her tracks.

'Hamish?' Her heart seemed to stop as well. She could see anyone but not him and not now.

"Margaret hasn't cancelled, sister." Her younger brother assured her with pity drenching his voice. "She will come over for dinner tomorrow."

She gave a faint nod and watched how Charlie stepped away again. As soon as his little blonde head had disappeared around the corner she sat down on her bed placed her head in her hands. Alice couldn't understand the whole situation. Why was Hamish coming to pay her a visit after the way she had denied him marriage? And most importantly, why wouldn't her sister be there to comfort her?

It occurred to her that this might all be a set up by her mother. Of course Alice had given Lord Ascot the most brilliant ideas for a journey to China and she had set off along with him, feeling like one of the boys instead of the feeble girl her mother liked to often portray her, and had reached her goal. If her mother hadn't thought it to be enough she would invite Ascot again for more plans, more business, more trading.

Then finally a bright thought struck her. If her mother had wanted for Alice to make money by 'working' she would have simply invited Lord Ascot himself, and not his son. Or was she forgetting something? There was the possibility Hamish had offered to come all by himself, and it had not been her mother who had arranged this. However to Alice it felt as if her mother was constantly there, sticking her nose into other people's business. Helen must have had some say in this one way or another.

Alice was quite sure that her mother had made Margaret delay her visit and Hamish feel welcome. Why else did she have to wear her most prettiest dress of all?

She eyed herself in the mirror. Tears sprung in her eyes at the thought of the wonderful friend she now felt she had lost.

"It's all been my own stupid mistake." She growled to herself.

"If only I hadn't thought he had to marry his cousin, if only I wouldn't have gone away, If only," Her thoughts were brought to a halt and so were the words that formed on her lips as someone has knocked on her door and entered the room swiftly.

It was her mother.

'Speaking of the devil,' Alice thought angrily to herself.

"Alice," Helen started in a severe tone, "Don't let our guest wait."

Alice halted. 'Hamish was already here?' She cursed unladylike inside her head. The man's dogged determination knew no boundaries. She very carefully lifted herself from the bed and gazed at her mother with an expression which very clearly told the elderly lady that she wasn't in the mood to see this man now. But Helen had nothing of it and demanded for Alice to change straight away, even forcefully removing Alice's dress to replace it with the pretty blue one. Alice gawked at it with mixed feelings. While her hands rubbed the hem of the dress she relived those memories of when she had first worn it, conveniently this was the ball held by the Ascots, and with Hamish around. She can clearly recall how the lord's son had asked her to marry him. The party had been unusual, it was supposed to be their engagement party, and although she had even danced with the decrepit man, she had found herself captivated by the sight of a rabbit wearing a waistcoat and had hurried after him.

Yes, this was the dress in which she had first met the hatter after all those years. She had often thought him to be nothing more but a dream, and in some sense she had been right because she had dreamed him up, she was sure of it.

His eyes had sparkled when he had seen her.

That was the moment Helen pulled tightly at Alice's dress and, with a mutter, stated that she was decent and had to follow her downstairs. Alice complied. She was ever so happy not to be wearing a corset, this because she was already starting to get a tad too round to wear one properly.

But she hadn't felt the baby to be alive yet, not yet.

With each step she took down the stairs she could feel how her courage left her. The hatter had been right; she easily lost her muchness. The thought of Tarrant, however, seemed to restore her lost courage and with her head held high she entered the room to find Hamish sitting on a chair opposite of her. Next to him were his parents, Lord and Lady Ascot, who were looking at her sternly. Even Lord Ascot didn't give her a smile.

She swallowed but found it hard to do so. The atmosphere was heavy and tension filled the air. Her mother took a seat next to where she was standing.

Her eyes scanned the room, only to discover her brother hiding behind the window. She bowed slightly to show her respect but was met with the grim and silent faces of the Ascots. It was obvious that whatever was going to happen was to be of great importance, and Charlie was keen to watch and eavesdrop on the matter. She gently brushed her hands past her skirts to straighten them and sat down elegantly.

Finally the whole Ascot family stirred and rose to greet her. Her mother looked deftly at Lady Ascot and the two exchanged a nod.

Yet it was Hamish who cleared his throat.

"Lady Alice," He started with some reluctance. Alice wondered why he was bopping his leg up and down as if nervous, and why he was sweating and his eye twitched.

"We've come to know about your unfortunate 'circumstance'." She was about to huff because how dare he call her pregnancy a 'circumstance'? Yet a small voice at the back of her head piped that she should remain quiet for he was right, wasn't he? She had not asked to become a mother. And thus she bit her tongue and remained silent.

Hamish took her silence as a sign for him to continue and after a small cough folded his hands in front of him to rattle on.

"It is common knowledge what will happen to a girl who is with child but not with husband," He paused to look at his father, "and as you work for a highly respected man it can mean for you to loose your job." He chose his words easily, without care, and as simple as if he was talking to a child. Alice scowled at him and gripped the seat of the chair tight within her fists.

"In other words, dear Alice," Hamish looked up at her and for the first time ever actually looked her in the eyes, "this is your second and last chance. It's unique, you should take it and accept me as I ask you for the final time ever,"

He licked his thin lips and gave her his quirky smile again.

"Will you be my wife?"

Alice felt as if she was going to faint. _"Hatter,"_ the last word taunting her poor mind. Her mother caught a hold of her and supported her while muttering dark words and motives. But Alice as oblivious to them. The vision of the red-haired man with his top hat and silly boots started to fade in a very far and very faint distance. The colourful one seemed to step out of her field of vision and with that out of her life.

Where had her hero gone?

She muttered for the others to leave her alone, and her words were followed by a whisper as she dramatically sunk into her chair and buried her face in her hands.

"_Hatter."_


	18. Yesterday

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit. **_IMPORTANT AU NOTE AT THE END OF CHAPTER =O_**

Written as a reply to : 2010_Alice_kink

* * *

**I dreamed you**

* * *

'**Yesterday'**

Tarrant looked around. The Outlands had changed since he had last been there. The vista was bleak, the ground barren, the only vegetation some lime trees with withered leaves clinging to their black branches. The sight of it made him feel sad as if something was gnawing at his heart.

Could this be the place that he had left behind so many years ago?

Mallymkun came to stand next to him and sighed. She was still seated on Bayard's back and the poor dog puffed and tried to catch his breath.

"This won't do." The dormouse piped at the tired hatter. "Already you can hardly stand. We've been walking for days, months, who knows how long? And Already the effect of the Mercury is showing."

Cheshire grinned as he rolled through the air. "It's because we're now out of Mirana's reach and closer to the gap between Alice's world and our own."

Tarrant just snorted and looked away. He tried his best to ignore his friends as he knew they were right about the poison and his condition which was getting worse each day. But he couldn't give up now. Not with Alice so near. As his vision began to spin in front of his eyes he reached up for his hat to steady it on top of his hat and shivered, trembled, and took another step forth.

"Are you cold?" Mallymkun worriedly asked but Tarrant gave no reply.

"Figures." Chessur mewled sadly. "Our friend is not going to last long. Now the poor minds can see what love does to a person."

They continued onwards, the dormouse, dog and cat following the hatter with each step he took, until they had reached an area filled with rocks and the hatter claimed he could not take another step and had to rest first. As Tarrant placed himself on a rock which seemed flat enough to lie down upon, the others started to pull at his clothes and tried to move him into a sitting position again.

"Don't do this to us, Hatter." Mallymkun cried out desperately. "If you fall asleep now who knows when you'll wake up?"

Even Chessur tried to get the hatter off of the rock and mewed worriedly. "Plus there are snakes around here."

Mallymkun froze.

"Snakes?" She stuttered and Chessur nodded. Snakes were one of Mallymkun's most feared enemies and she immediately let go of Tarrant to grab her pin-like sword.

"Where? Where?" She chirruped. "I'll kill them all."

But Tarrant had already closed his eyes.

"Now all is lost." Chessur spoke as he gave Bayard a sad look. The dog hung his head and made sobbing noises.

If Tarrant would give in, if he would give up and allow for the Mercury to take his life, their travel had been in vain and they had failed. Footsteps could be heard as a tall frame approached the three animals which surrounded their friend. An audible gasp could be heard and Tarrant stirred.

"Cousin?"

Chessur ducked behind Bayard before he dissolved, leaving Bayard to stand on his own. Tally placed her hand on the hatter's shoulder and gently shook it.

"Cousin? Is that you? Wake up, silly head."

Although her words were kind and spoken at a hushed tone her worry was still audible.

"What happened to you?"

The question was a rhetorical one, but Mallymkun had already jumped on her hand and had pointed her sword at the girl. "He's ill because of the Mercury."

Tallulah bit her lip. "Why did he return to the Outlands? He knows he should stay in Underland if he wants to live."

The dormouse crossed her tiny arms in front of her chest and glowered at the girl. "That's just it. He wants to see Alice so badly he is prepared to sacrifice his life for one final meeting with her."

Tally gazed at the mouse. A ghastly pallor suffused her handsome face and even her green eyes seemed clouded and distracted. "Alice." She whispered as a shiver ran down her spine.

"She left to Overland, Aboveland, Upperland, Britain." Mallymkun nodded and helplessly threw her hands up in the air. "And he wants to go there and visit her. But he cannot do so because the poison will surely kill him. Do you see his problem? As soon as he sets foot on Upperland he'll be dead."

Tally grabbed the mouse and held her in front of her nose. Chessur reappeared behind Bayard and snickered at the display.

"Then why help him to get there?"

Mallymkun gasped for air. "Because he's our friend and he wants nothing more. Without Alice he isn't the hatter we know."

Tally sighed and finally released the dormouse, placing her on both feet again and turning her attention back to Tarrant. "I have a little house nearby. We can take him there to rest. But I won't allow for him to visit Alice's country if it'll mean he'll die. We need to think of a plan."

Bayard barked in consent.

It was Chessur who swept through the air and pointed out a little technical problem. "How will we get him there?" He pointed his claw at the sleeping form of the Hatter and they all frowned. Once again Chessur had a point.

"I'll ask my husband to help me." They all froze and turned to face Tally who blushed furiously. It was only now that they noticed how she had changed and Mallymkun pointed at her and jumped excitedly up and down.

"There's a baby there! There's a baby coming!"

Tally bit her lip and gazed down at herself, her cheeks red and her hands resting on her belly. "Yes, indeed there is. Now let's not waste time and get someone to help him up and into the home. "

She turned on her heels but before walking away to get help she looked at Mallymkun over her shoulder. "Guard him well. I'll be back in a minute or so." Not that she really knew about time apart from that it always seemed to turn against her.

The Alice look-a-like hurried away and left the animals to look after their sleeping friend.

Chessur just purred. "I wonder what Tarrant will say when he finds out his cousin is pregnant."

* * *

AU: Hello dear readers =) I'm not doing well at the moment. But I dearly would like to finish this story and finish it soon. That's why I ask everyone who reads this and has been reading this story to help me with the ending. My original plan was an extended version of what the story is now going to be. I'd planned for Tarrant and Alice to end up together but with everything that has happened so far I don't think it'll be a realistic ending (_but then again nothing is impossible unless you believe it is xD ). _So please tell me what I shall do. Most votes win.

Shall I have Hatter & Alice together? Shall I have them meet but Alice ending with Hamish?

What kind of an ending do you, as readers, wish to see?

Reply, and thank you all for waiting this patiently =)


	19. You've Got a Friend

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit. IMPORTANT AU NOTE AT THE END OF CHAPTER =O

Written as a reply to : 2010_Alice_kink

* * *

**I dreamed you**

* * *

'**You've Got A Friend'**

Alice tossed and turned. She couldn't find the right position to fall asleep and grumbled under her breath.

Another pillow was added to the pile, and one squeezed between her knees, and it didn't seem to work.

She growled and cried out in frustration.

"I hate this!"

Charlie appeared next to her side. Somehow he had managed to enter her room and gently placed his hand on her forehead. "Calm down, sister." She puffed and glared at him. He was the only one who meant well. Even her sister Margaret had betrayed her by refraining from visiting her so that Hamish could be her guest instead. Her mother had been a particular pain in the you-know-what by constantly making remarks about her behaviour and about how well Hamish would suit her as a husband. She groaned and did not agree. Charlie seemed to be the only one to truly understand and care for her.

"Hush, sister, it'll be okay."

She threw one of the pillows to hit the door and cried out again.

"Stupid stupidness." She cursed.

Her pregnancy was disabling her to lie down properly. She hadn't seen her feet for about a month now. The child inside of her had already turned once or twice. And the only thing she wished for was for Tarrant to be here, no matter how stupid it might sound but she wanted the father of her child to be here and witness her pains and depressions and agitation. The whole list of them.

But he wasn't there.

He didn't even know and she cried out again, if only to catch Charlie's attention and have him calm her. It worked as he placed his tiny hand on her forehead and gave her an angelic smile. She hoped her own child would become like him. Caring, kind and not interested in the rules at all.

She gave him a faint smile.

"Do you think Hamish would like to see me like this?" Her voice was dripping of bitter irony for she knew her future husband wasn't very fond of Alice behaving this way, like a mad chicken without a head.

"I don't know, Alice." Her brother replied in all honesty. He heavily doubted it, but the man still wanted to marry Alice and save her from the disgrace. He was kind to offer such help. Even Alice had to acknowledge that. She smiled a bitter smile and wrapped her arms around her brother.

"Isn't it silly?" She muttered out loud while her thoughts continued.

The man she had wanted to be with had to marry his cousin. He had been forced to do so but they had prevented it. Now she was the one to be forced to marry the man she'd refused so many months ago. The fates were cruel after all, and, so she concluded, her brother made a better pillow than all the pillows she had tried.

And so she fell asleep while hugging her younger brother in her arms.

She didn't notice how the door opened with a creaking sound and how Hamish peeked into the room. Charlie did notice and removed himself from the bed to tiptoe over to the man and exit the room with him. They entered another room to make sure that they were out of reach and that they wouldn't wake Alice.

Hamish impatiently gestured for the young lad to sit down before running a hand through his orange hair.

"Charles, you can see how poorly my fiancée is feeling."

His eye twitched, he wrinkled his nose and fidgeted with his sleeve.

"Therefore I want to give her a gift."

The words oozed out of his mouth like a fountain, hastily and hurriedly uttered.

"You want to cheer my sister up by giving her a present?" Charlie asked dumbfounded. The man in front of him nodded before pacing about the room.

"Yes, something special she will really appreciate."

He didn't want for their marriage to be a failure from the start.

Charlie frowned and placed his hands inside his pockets while kicking his feet in the air. "How about a new hat?"

Hamish's eyes sparkled. Alice hadn't been wearing a hat for months. Hamish thought it might be because she didn't have a suitable and presentable one.

"A wonderful idea, young Kingsleigh."

He placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and tapped his fingers nervously.

"Wonderful, splendid indeed."

* * *

AU: Same as last: Thank you to everyone who has replied. I've even received suggestions for possible endings. So thank you. But for all how hadn't read this yet, please do:

Hello Readers =) I'm not doing well at the moment. But I dearly would like to finish this story and finish it soon. That's why I ask everyone who reads this and has been reading this story to help me with the ending. My original plan was an extended version of what the story is now going to be. I'd planned for Tarrant and Alice to end up together but with everything that has happened so far I don't think it'll be a realistic ending (_but then again nothing is impossible unless you believe it is xD_ ). So please tell me what I shall do. Most votes win.

Shall I have Hatter & Alice together? Shall I have them meet but Alice ending with Hamish?

What kind of an ending do you, as readers, wish to see?

Reply, and thank you all for waiting this patiently =)

& Keep reviewing =D Reviews are the cookie swhich keep the author writing.


	20. Someone To Watch Over Me

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit.

Written as a reply to : 2010_Alice_kink

* * *

**I dreamed you**

* * *

**'Someone To Watch Over Me'**

Tarrant awoke to face a familiar sight. Green eyes like his, sparkling, a smile showing a gap between front teeth and a pale skin. But it wasn't his own reflection he saw. When he sat up straight and reached to straighten his hat, which did not seem to be there, he noticed the person in front of him was actually his cousin Tally.

He panicked, shifted on the bed and patted the covers with his hands in a feeble attempt to find his hat. "Where is it?"

His cousin just laughed and handed his hat back to him. "You couldn't sleep with that hat on. I wanted you to be comfortable."

Tarrant snorted.

"I was." He huffed and Tally rolled her eyes.

"You were not."

The hatter placed his hat back on top of his head. "I wasn't because I was sleeping on a rock and this is just a bad dream. Perhaps the rock got me numb."

His cousin smirked. "Yeah, imagine that."

Tarrant stared down at her and bit his lip. She still resembled Alice so much. He closed his eyes. Almost instantly visions of the blonde girl appeared in front of them. How she laughed, the blue dresses she'd worn and how they had matched her eyes, her long curly hair and her soft voice. He relived all of it, all of her, and a content smile appeared on his lips.

Tally noticed it but did not interrupt his thoughts and instead left her spot near his side to take a few steps back.

Alice was still in Tarrant's mind. He could now see her as he had seen her last. Naked in all her glory, resting at his side and with her head placed against his chest. To feel her skin against his again and breathe her scent, he'd give anything to be with her again and to relive those memories. He vaguely heard his own brogue voice echoing inside his head.

'_You know, the White Queen found back my cousin._' Alice listened to him with full interest_. 'I will have to marry her tomorrow.'_

"_No,"_ Tarrant muttered under his breath and reached with his hands in the air as if trying to prevent Alice to run away.

"_Nay, I won't marry 'er, lass."_

Tally bit her lip at the sight of her cousin. He was clearly being delusional and rethinking about what had happened. She looked aside and silently cursed the White Queen. She had been ever so happy with her new adoptive parents until the White guards had come and taken her away to marry her cousin Hightopp.

He was handsome, talented and very much around the twist, but he was still family and she had disliked the thought. But the white skinned woman had the final word, like always, and she had been glad when Underland's champion had appeared. She had hoped her cousin Tarrant would have been allowed to marry Alice instead of her. Now that she saw a tear escaping the corner of Tarrant's eye she felt even more nauseous.

"You can get her back." She whispered as Mallymkun joined her side. "Hatter?"

Tarrant saw how Alice turned her naked back on him and started to walk away. Her vision faded and panic started to rise in his chest.

"No, C'me back!' He screeched and grasped for her.

It was Tally who grabbed his cheeks and rocked him gently while chanting for him to join the living again.

"Tarrant? Alice is not here. It's me, your little cousin Tallulah."

Tarrant shook his head fiercely. He wanted to touch Alice's face once more, stroke her creamy white flesh, hold her in his embrace and whisper sweet little nothings to her. He had never meant for her to leave him, nor for him to hurt her like this.

His sight returned to him and his eyes met green ones, almost identical to his own. "Tally," he breathed, his lisp audibly there. He grasped her dress and looked up at her. She had stopped cupping his face and now sat up straight again.

And he only now noticed she was pregnant.

His eyes grew wide and he gasped. "This can't be."

For a short moment he saw Alice in front of him. His delusional mind allowed him as much as that. He could see her seated with her legs crossed, her blonde hair flowing down her shoulders like golden waves of sea, her blue eyes sparkling as they met his, her hand protectively placed on her belly. Their child.

He could feel his throat run dry but the image had already faded.

Instead he saw a girl who painfully reminded him of Underland's champion. But she was not carrying his child.

Had he just imagined it? Yes. It could never be like that, could it? Fate would never be as kind. But the vision had made him aware of how important it would be for him to reach Alice and apology. She needed to know his feelings, for he had never spoken them out loud. Not to her anyway. He needed to do that last thing, even if it would mean his death. Tally didn't seem as relieved with his awakening as he was. Blood trickled down his face and she gasped. "Your nose is bleeding!"

"It's the mercury." Chessur solemnly explained. "The poison is killing him ever so slowly."

Tarrant gave him a glare and the cat huffed while he spun through the air. Tally took a wet cloth and pressed it against Tarrant's face, holding it so that the blood would be caught by the little piece of fabric.

"I think congratulations would be in order." The hatter cheerfully announced. Everyone present in the room gave him an odd glare. "I see yer carrying a little one."

His voice slowly turned brogue again, his eyes kept switching between a set of colours but he managed to control his other self. Tally looked down at herself and bit her lip.

"I'm glad you like the sight of it, Hightopp. You let a wonderful bride slip away." The voice was dark and raspy and belonged to none other than the knave who stood looming over the whole company. There was still a piece of metal clinging to his wrist, the only sign that he had been cuffed to the Red Queen.

Tarrant held his breath. "Why you ignorant," He couldn't finish his sentence because the knave had taken a step forth and now, with his arm wrapped around Tally, he grinned down at the miserable Hatter.

"What brought you here, Tarrant?" The knave spat. His voice was filled with loathing but his eye didn't seem to express as much hate as his voice. "Wait, let me correct myself. Who brought you here?"

Tarrant just eyed the tall man and kept his lips tightly pressed together.

"Indeed," The knave continued with his famous smirk adorning his features, "Me. Be happy your cousin found me, Hatter. Or your short life would have been even shorter." He snorted and showed his disgust of the Hatter by pulling the young girl with him.

Stayne had carried Tarrant to the house?

Stayne, a hero?

* * *

_Au: Hi all =D Thank you so much for reviewing and showing/ sharing your opinion. You shall all have to wait and see what will happen next =) I've had many suggestions as well although I already had two optional endings in mind. But please keep the reviews coming. They make me write more and update faster. =) Plus I could do with some cheerfulness. So next update after 155 reviews =P_


	21. All I Ask Of You

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit.

Written as a reply to : 2010_Alice_kink

* * *

**I dreamed you**

* * *

**'All I Ask Of You'**

Alice took hold of his hand but did not smile as brightly as he had wanted her to.

"Come on, dear Alice." Hamish said in a smooth voice as he guided her to the middle of the room. Already her pregnancy was starting to show and Hamish had made no secret of it. Earlier that day they had been talking to some of his father's business partners. Hamish had laughed and told them, while winking, about a new addition to the Ascot family. Even now the Chataway sisters were gossiping behind Alice's back and eyes rested upon her stomach. The gazes directed at her were too many to be denied and she sighed sadly.

Unenthusiastically she tightened her hold on him and started to dance in his arms.

He gave her a faint grin. "That's better Alice. You don't have to look troubled all the time."

She moped and turned her head away only to meet another stare of Lord Ascot. She wished her brother could have been there but he was at a boy's party. She sighed.

"I don't feel too well."

She muttered as an excuse but Hamish had nothing of that.

"Of course not. You're in need of something."

She looked up at him, almost expecting him to tell her she was in need of someone to mend her broken heart.

"And I've got you just the thing." With an elegant swirl he spun her around him and let go of her hand. A servant rushed forth to give him a package which he then handed to Alice. "Here you go."

Of all the charming and flattering things he could have said he stuck to a very rushed 'here you go' and Alice didn't know whether to smile or to tell him he was acting like a fool again.

"Thank you." She whispered and looked at the present. She admired the ribbons around it and received an impatient "Well, aren't you going to open it?"

Her eyes met those of Hamish again and she realised how much she hated his nervous twitching smile.

"It's quite large." She mused but then she saw how her mother took a step forward, threatening, and she quickly swallowed to ease her nerves before she turned back to Hamish.

"Of course."

She forced a smile and unpacked a hat. Immediately tears came to her eyes again but she managed to withhold them. "_Oh, Hamish_."

He just smiled at her. "Isn't it nice? Now put it on."

Without as much as a protest of Alice he placed the hat on top of her head and smiled.

"Lovely."

Alice wasn't sure if he actually meant it and thought he was just trying to win her affections with this. Instead he had opened the wound within her heart. Of all things he could buy her he bought her a hat. How ironic. She bit her lip and saw how one of her maids took the hat and brought it to her room. After that time rumbled and rolled.

When they finally sat at the dining table it was Hamish who suddenly cleared his throat and stood up proudly with that saucy smile of his. He had raised his glass and his eyes were meeting those of every guest seated at the table.

"May I bring out a toast," he started in his rapid voice "to my lovely wife to be."

He didn't even turn to face her as would be the protocol. He instead gave his mother a warning glare.

"Alice."

Lady Ascot reluctantly clapped her hands as the other guests were making noises of surprise. None of them was actually stunned by the news because the party was held because of their engagement, yet it was polite and common to show interest. They all took a sip from their drinks.

"And let us bring out a toast," Hamish continued in his smug voice and with a complacent look on his face, "to our soon to be born baby."

Alice choked on her own glass of juice and spluttered while turning to her mother. Helen clearly ignored her daughter's action and raised her glass once more.

Never had Alice felt more miserable than now.

Hamish was telling the others proudly about the baby, even though it was considered a sin to have sexual intercourse before the marriage. She did not understand why he behaved this way.

"Don't look so pale, sister." Margaret told her as she scooted closer to her younger sibling. "Even Elizabeth married pregnant." She pointed with her knuckle towards a highly-regarded lady at the far end of the table.

Alice's eyes grew wide. "But it's not his."

Her sister had already placed a finger against Alice's lips to hush her. "Don't say that out loud or you'll make yourself a disgrace."

"But this isn't proper either." She protested and watched Margaret shrug.

"Hamish is respected and a lord. He can do such things and get away with it. He's marrying you so there will be no problem."

Alice sighed and placed her head in her hands. So that was how things worked here?

She could hear how one of the guests muttered to a friend about how she'd always had expected for Alice to be a wild goose, whatever that might mean. And that Hamish had done the honourable thing to marry her. The whole evening was filled with talk and gossip about how Alice was forced to marry the father of her child and in her panic she fled to the balcony and cried. With tearstained eyes she watched how the moon brought light to the roses in the garden and she grabbed the curtains behind her and nuzzled them close.

She needed to hold something to comfort her. As she closed her eyes she imagined to be somewhere safe.

'_It is a good thing she marries the father of the child. Now the child can be happy.' _

Words she had heard that night echoed through her head.

"No," She whispered, "You're all wrong. The baby is not going to be happy with this."

Her eyes flew open again.

"And neither am I."


	22. United We Stand

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit.

Written as a reply to : 2010_Alice_kink

* * *

**I dreamed you**

**

* * *

**

'**United We Stand'**

The room was clouded with a green mist. He could not see where he was going and held up his arms as he tried to protect himself from whatever might be flowing his way.

"No, please," he screeched in his posh yet terrified voice. "No, anything but this."

Something caught to his leg, tearing at his trousers, ripping his sock and causing for him to lose a shoe. He tripped and fell over. His face landed in the mud as he leaned up on his elbows and cried out.

"A worm could be stuck in my throat now! But that still doesn't answer my question. What a nightmare this has become."

He rolled onto his side and clutched his elbows.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

A distance away the fog was just as clouded.

As many times before, Time refused to cooperate. As had happened so often the room wasn't white nor red but a colour that should not be there. As he glanced at his watch he could feel how coldness surrounded him and he tried to shake it off of him. He wondered if it was pure madness and if he had lost control or if it was all to a greater purpose that he seemed to have lost his mind, health and love. But of everything he still owned his life and that might have been the greatest punishment of all.

The mists returned and blurred his vision. He stretched out his hands in the hope to find something or someone to hold onto.

"Absolem?" He lisped and turned his head but no one replied. "Chessur?"

He was cautious and anxious at the same time. His green eyes darted from left to right. With another careful step he treaded into the mud. The muck instead of staying low started to drip up his leg and he blinked at it.

"Now this is very unusual," he lisped as he bent to have a closer look, "Usually dirt greets me down at the floor, not climbing up my leg and ruining my fine socks." With a soft murmur he raised his head again to see a faint shape in the distance.

"Alice?"

What kind of lunacy had caused for him to think her name to fit anything and everything he'd see in front of him. Clearly he was delusional again but he kept running anyway and leapt at the shadows in front of him. His arms caught around her neck and she tumbled over, he fell on top of her and smiled at her face, she looked shocked, he was pressed into her, she disappeared.

With a deep sigh and a loud cry the Hatter battered the mud with his fists.

"Don't ye dare leav'ng me, lass! Don't ye r'n 'way!"

But she was gone already, and so was the greenness of his eyes which had been replaced by the dangerous amber it had been so many a time.

"Hullo?" The call was careful and the person who had uttered it was invisible.

"Anyone there? I'd say."

He had scrambled up onto his feet and approached the form that was lying, struggling with himself, in the mud. His foot hit the man's shoulder and he tumbled down upon this man, the top hat tearing and being heavily damaged in the process.

"This isn't my day." Hamish grumbled as he got up again. He was still missing a sock and a shoe. Tarrant gazed up at him angrily. The amber coloured eyes now showed a hint of red and because of the fog he wasn't visible apart from these dangerous shimmering eyes. Hamish yelped and took a step away.

"You're a demon!"

"Ye bet ye're." Tarrant harshly complied and sat up. The air smelled of damp brick; a subtle mouldering reek unique to marshes of Underland. And now, as Tarrant frowned he came to realise, the scent seemed to be coming from the ginger man in front of him.

His evil glare was lowered.

"I'd say," Hamish spoke as he waved the air with a hand and pinched his nose. To him the air smelled of glue and mercury and he too realised he was catching the scent of the man he'd stumbled upon. "if you are a demon would you be so kind as to vanquish."

Tarrant uttered a soft quiet curse, an overt sign of emotion, as his hand run up into his carrot-like hair in search of the remains of his hat.

"I'd l've to, b't not without me Alice."

Hamish's eyes opened wide with interest. He cocked his head slightly to the side.

"Alice?"

But then the dream ended and he was coughing as he awoke in his chair.


	23. A Different Corner

**Fandom: **Alice in Wonderland 2010  
**Rating:** R ( M )  
**Warning:** Explicit content, do not read when under 18.  
**Pairing: **Alice / Tarrant  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I profit.

Written as a reply to : 2010_Alice_kink

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**I dreamed yo****u**

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'**A Different Corner'**

Alice was still standing on the balcony, overlooking the garden and watching the moon rise, with the curtains still clutched in her small hands when she heard the sound of something flapping, flying, darting at her and she turned her head to find no one.

"Absolem? Is that you?"

She knew she was being silly, ridiculous almost, to assume a butterfly would search for her at night, but she had to try and call for him. What if he really was there? Nothing was impossible, or so she'd learned from a friend. She froze as she remembered him.

A friend.

The noise of wings moving air could be heard again and she turned her head to find an old acquaintance, for she could not really call him a friend as he was too stoic for that, flying in front of her.

"Absolem, what is it?"

Naturally the blue-winged butterfly did not utter a single word and just glared at her expressionless. She could have known that animals would not be capable of talking in her world and thus she sighed.

"All right, what do you want for me to do?"

The butterfly circled around her head until he dropped a note which she caught swiftly in both her hands. It was a tiny scroll carrying the seal of Marmoreal. Alice, with shaking hands, carefully started to unfold the scroll. She wasn't eager to find out what it might say, but then again she was curious as always and that part of her character made it impossible for her not to read the letter which was clearly addressed to her.

Absolem was still flying next to her side but she didn't look at him to see his reaction. After all he was no more than the average butterfly in this world. Alice had to admit she missed his low rumbling voice and the way he would sound all-knowing as he talked to her as if she was a fool for not knowing anything about quantum theory or early day science. She missed how her little grumpy acquaintance would sit on a leaf and smoke his hookah. She missed the old days before she had left Underland and before she had lost a friend she had wanted to be with forever.

With a frown on her face she read the first nicely calligraphed letter on the vellum. By the sight of it the White Queen herself had written the text which was quite unusual. Usually she had servants and maids to chores for her. Surely she must have had a clerk in her possession as well? But no, the letter was written by her majesty and Alice could feel her blood run cold.

'_Dear Alice,'_ She read, not out loud in case anyone might pass and notice her standing there. She had to chuckle at the informal way Mirana started the letter, it was highly unusual. _'Underland's Champion, it has come to pass that Tarrant Hightopp has left to the Outlands in an attempt to reach you. Be aware for his health will fail him as soon as he sets foot on land above.'_ But Alice had read enough. Her heart had skipped a beat at reading her friend's name and it had cost her great difficulty and courage to read the next line. As she predicted the message there had been even worse. If she were to read another sentence she might feel too ill to even respond.

"Absolem." She said to the butterfly with a dry mouth and broken voice. The creature had moved itself to behind its champion so she could not see him while she was speaking to him. "Take this back to the White Queen. Tell her I cannot be of any help."

In her mind she could already hear Mirana's reaction to her words. How the White Queen would claps her hands and cry out. _"Alas! I had known we could not interest our hero for such a task. The Hatter is on it alone. And I dread to think what his fate may be."_ Alice frowned and felt how her conscience was starting to eat her heart.

"And tell her that if she had not persisted for the marriage between the Hightopps to take place I had gladly taken Tally's place. After all the Hightopp clan won't be dying."

Absolem fluttered his wings and was about to fly closer to her as if to ask _"what do you mean by that?"_ when he was squatted by a large flat object.

"Insects." Hamish explained as he took his stand next to Alice's side. "I honestly do not see why you keep close to such puny creatures."

But Alice had no patience to be at his side and removed his arm from her shoulder.

"I always wonder the same." She dryly replied as she moved away from him and into the adjacent room. As she flounced the parlour gracefully her sleeve hatched on the door-latch and she had to stop to free herself. Her eyes shortly met those of Hamish who pleaded for her to stay.

"Alice, you have to tell me. Why is a Raven like a writing desk?"

She froze for a mere second and Hamish took her surprise as a refutation.

"I have just been suffering from the weirdest of all dreams."

Then Alice left the room and rushed down the hallway, ignoring the Chataway sisters and Lord Ascot, and cleverly avoiding her mother. Hamish stood on is own and clutched an arm close to his chest as he mused about what had happened. Behind him Absolem had regained consciousness and flew up into the night sky. As Hamish shook his head proudly and with less grace than he could he muttered some words to himself.

"I'd almost believe the lunacy is infectious."


End file.
